I Am Dead, Again
by RienMuse
Summary: Somebody has tried to kill Tara. Or, at least that's what a vampire told her. But why? And who was this gray eyed vampire? Was he really a vampire? And who was that elegant woman who seemed also to have interest in her? And why? To Lawrence Daniel.
1. My Angel

**Author Note: The whole chapters of I am Dead, Again is betaed by Northwoman. Thank you very much for your correction and hint, My friend!**

**Disclaimer: Charlaine Harris and Alan Ball own all characters, I borrow them only to answer 'what ifs' that I need to let out. **

**This story is dedicated to a very dear friend of mine:**

**Lawrence Daniel**

_**There will be no words, long enough or big enough to describe you and your thoughts**_

_**I am blessed to know you, L.D**_

Chapter One

**My Angel**

The water under my head looked lovely. It moved like a dancer with her colourful veil flying all around her, and the movement was like the sound of the orchestra that accompanied her, giving her secret signs of what the next step would be.

Then I heard a loud noise, like some kind of metal being dragged down - and argh - why was my chest so painful? And what was running on my face? Where was I? I forced myself to look around, but my neck was stiff. Oh, God! Where was I?

"Shht…easy," suddenly I heard a voice. It was a soft male voice. "Don't move. I will open your seat belt and you have to trust me, all right? When I say go, you have to take my hand. Do you understand me?"

"Yes…" I felt my heart racing. Seat belt? I was in a car?

"What's your name?"

"What?"

"What's your name? You have a name, don't you?"

"Tara…"

"Everything is going to be all right, Tara." I heard a 'clack' sound as he removed something, perhaps my seat belt. "Are you ready, Tara?"

As ready as I could be. I tried to nod, but I couldn't."Yes…"

"Go!"

I grabbed his hand and I screamed as I felt how cold his hand was. Either he was dead, or he was a vampire. I hated vampires. They did nothing, but ruined many lives; the life of Sookie Stackhouse, for example. Since she had got to know that son of a bitch, Bill Compton, she was beaten, attacked and nearly killed by Rene. I didn't know how she could put up with him. I couldn't even imagine how she was willing to sleep with such a cold piece of meat like vampire. Yuck!

The last thing I heard about their 'relationship' was Bill had left her for his maker. She had nothing else to do, but ran around with a seven-days-rain face. There was also another vampire, who visited her at Merlotte's from time to time. A tall, blond vampire, who seemed to have such an eerie way of carrying himself that scared a lot of people, except me. I didn't take bullshit from any body, men or vampires. It seemed he understood that too, therefore we didn't have much contact with each other. He knew me as Sookie's friend, and that was it. I didn't even bother to know his name. You know one vampire, you know them all.

That cold hand grabbed my hips and before I knew it, I was lying down on the hard cold asphalt road. I open my eyes to find a white face with a pair of big grey eyes. I wanted to say 'thank you' for his help. I might hate vampires, but I still had my manners. I opened my mouth, but no word came out from it. I heard a sound of choking and the next thing I knew, he kissed me. I tried to get him off my body, but my hands were numb. His mouth was as cold as his hand, but his tongue was soft. When he lifted his face, blood was all over his mouth.

"You have blood in your throat," he said. "Drink my blood, or you will die."

_Yeah, you wish_…my head started spinning. His face was blurring…and god, my chest was burning.

"Tara, listen to me. Drink my blood, child. You will not die on me. You will live and you will find who did this to you."

I wanted to tell him that I preferred to die rather than to drink his blood. I didn't want to be like Sookie, who fell in love with a vampire only to find that he was nothing but a regular son of a bitch. No fucking way. But I couldn't make any sound.

"Tara, listen to me. You don't want to die. Somebody tried to kill you; don't you want to find out who it was?"

"Somebody tried to kill me? Why?"

"Exactly, Tara. Why? Don't you want to know?"

I opened my mouth.

"That's my girl."

I heard a 'click' and then warm liquid dropped into my mouth.

"Suck it, Tara. Drink it."

His soft voice commanded me again. I didn't wait for the third command and did what he had said. I had never drunk from a vampire before and to be honest, it surprised me that his blood was not cold at all. It was warm and…delicious. Something about it tasted similar, but I couldn't remember what. Slowly I my chest felt better. The burning feeling that I had several minutes ago wasn't entirely gone, but I could breathe easier.

"Enough, Tara." He took his wrist gently. "I'll call a paramedic. Somebody will come and take you to the hospital."

"You sound like a fucking doctor."

He chuckled. "Do I? Fortunately, I am not. I hate doctors." He put my head on the ground. "Don't move too much, just lie there. I won't go anywhere. Just lie there and try not to fall a sleep. You are still in shock, Tara, but you will be okay."

"Where are we?"

"Somewhere between Shreveport and Bon Temps, I saw your car going out of control and hit the bridge. I came to you as soon as I heard you screaming."

"I don't scream."

"O yes, you did, and loudly."

I smiled. "What's your name?"

Before he answered, I heard a siren coming closer. "I've got to go now, Tara. We will see each other again."

"I don't know your name."

"But I know yours and you have my blood. You will recognize me, if you really want."

"Wait…"

Too late. He was gone, as fast as he had come. The squeal of brakes was so close to me, I swore that the car stopped only some inches away from where I was. Then I heard the sound of wheels. A man talked to somebody about seeing the victim lying on the road.

"Hi there…" a friendly voice greeted me. "Is everything all right?"

"You tell me."

He checked my eyes, ears, nose and mouth, then he put something cold on my chest, before he said. "We have to take you to the hospital. You have suffered from some internal injuries. What's your name, Miss?"

"What?" I felt my body lifted and put on a cold board. "Where is he?" I asked them. "Did you see him?"

"Who? What's your name, Miss?"

"Tara."

"Remember your last name, Tara?"

"Thornton…where is he?"

"It appears that the victim is in trauma." He said, to whom, I didn't know. "Who, Tara?"

A bloody fucking vampire that's who, but I said, "My angel. He saved me."

xxxxx


	2. A Little Drop, A Little Step

Chapter Two

**A Little Drop, A Little Step**

A pair of big blue eyes was the first thing I saw. Not Sookie's, but Jason's. My heart beat irregularly. Jason Stackhouse, the hometown playboy. I didn't know how many women had fallen under a spell every time they saw those puppy eyes or that innocent smile, the very smile he was giving me now. I didn't know and I didn't want to know. My chest was already heavy only by thinking about it.

"Hi, Tara." He pulled his chair near the bed.

"Hi, Jason. Where am I?"

"At Promise's," he fingered his wavy dark blond hair. Promise is a name of a hospital in Shreveport. Why was I in Shreveport? "Sookie's still working. She said she would stop by to see you as soon as she can."

"What happened to me?"

"Jeez, I don't know, Tara. Sookie called me yesterday morning to tell me that you got in an accident. We came here as soon as we could, but you were still at the recovery room. Paramedics had found you not so far from the red bridge and they brought you here."

The red bridge was the bridge that connected Bon Temps with Shreveport…so I was going to Shreveport when the accident happened.

"Why'd I go to Shreveport?"

Jason looked at me with his puppy eyes. "Why are you asking me? Did Sam tell you or did you have something to do that you hadn't told anybody? Sookie also wonders why you went to Shreveport. What were you doing?"

I closed my eyes. Yeah, what was I doing? I remembered talking to Sam, saying goodbye and then the next thing I could remember was that pair of grey eyes…a vampire's…or he must have been. I remembered the coldness of his hands…his lips…wait, right there. His lips? Had he fucking kissed me? What the fuck?

"Tara…are you all right?"

Of course I wasn't! I'd been kissed by a vampire! I rubbed my lips. No, that couldn't be. That must have been a dream…was it? His lips were cold, but I also remembered how soft his tongue was…reaching down my throat…

"Tara?" Jason's warm hand on mine startled me. "Don't do that, please. You scare the hell out of me."

"Do what?"

"Rubbing your lips and closing your eyes tightly like that. You always do that when you're afraid."

Jason, Sookie and I had been the three musketeers of Bon Temps. Mostly Jason had been the one, who played as the big brother, the big protector for both us – for me, especially, when my mother had been out of her liquor. Yes, I always rubbed my lips every time I was scared…but that had been so long ago. What I had done just now was because I had wanted to get rid off the traces of his lips, not because I had been afraid of him.

"What happened, Tara?"

I would like to know myself.

"When I heard that you had an accident, I went to Merlotte's and asked Sam. You were driving his car, so I thought he knew something, but he also didn't have any idea. You must've gone to Shreveport for a reason."

That would be the smartest thing that Jason had ever said. Jason was a handsome guy, good in sports and handling guns. He was once the champion of a shooting competition. But in brain area, he was not that good, to put it mildly. To hear him talking with such a well-thought reasoning was something new to me.

"I don't like it, you know…," he scratched his head, "to think that somebody might have sabotaged the car…because there will be no way that Sam would let you drive his car if he wasn't sure that everything was okay with the car!"

"Jeez, Jason…you figured everything out!"

I couldn't stop being astonished. Had Jason hit his head on something?

He grinned. "I knew that you agreed. Everybody else thought I thought too much."

"Nah…that's cool, Jay." I smiled. Thinking once or twice would not harm him.

The door opened. A man and two women entered the room. The man introduced himself as Doctor Jacob Fisher and introduced the women as Nurse O'Neill and Nurse Broadway. Doctor Fisher shook Jason's hand, and then he looked at the small clipboard that he was carrying.

"I have to say, I'd never seen a case like this before, Tara. When you were brought to the hospital, you had been seriously injured. You suffered from broken ribs; we found some blood in your lungs, broken shoulder and legs. But as soon as we managed to get the blood out of your lungs, you recovered since then, as if your bones were regenerating instantly. It makes me wonder, did you take vampire blood or something? If yes, I'd suggest you to stop it. Vampire blood could give you temporary strength and fit condition, but like any other illegal drug, it would make you addicted. Different from the traditional drug, vampire blood would also give you hallucinations and a different kind of addiction."

"What addiction, Doc?" Jason seemed curious.

"Sex addiction."

"No fucking way!" I nearly screamed.

No fucking way that I'd be addicted to him. And no, I'd never taken any vampire blood, except that night when that vampire gave me his.

"No, I never take vampire blood," I lied. "You can ask Jason," I looked at Jason and surprised to see how pale he was. Did Jason take it?

"Doc…" Jason cleared his throat. "But I also heard that it could…you know…improve the potential…"

"Yes," Doctor Fisher signed the clipboard. "Anyway, like any other drugs, it also has a side effect."

"Side effects, Doc?"asked Jason.

"In some cases, if the persons take it too much," Doctor Fisher stared at me sharply. "It has almost the same effect as meth or ecstasy. It makes the user addicted, plus, like what I said, sex addiction." His stares were now changing into accusation. "You'd better stop it now, before it's too late."

What the fuck, eh? He accused me of taking vampire blood?

"Tara, we'll observe you for another twenty-four hours. If nothing changes, you can go home."

"Really?" both Jason and I looked at him.

"But, Doc…" Jason continued. "Didn't you just say that Tara had some broken bones?"

Doctor Fisher looked pissed when he said, "As much as I like that my patient is recovering, I'm not pleased to tell you Tara, that you're almost cured. Almost, I said. We still have to wait for the developments. I've never seen somebody who can heal rapidly like you. Either you lied to me about the vampire blood, or you are one hell of lucky lady. Because as far as I could see from your latest x-ray photos, you are good as new."

Then he stormed out of the room.

"You have to understand him, Tara." Nurse O'Neill said. "Doctor Fisher is old school. He doesn't believe in magical power of vampire blood. For him, it's too dangerous and too risky."

"Don't worry, Nurse O'Neill." I tried to smile. "I am one hundred percent behind him. I don't trust anything that comes from vampires either. Jason too, right Jason?"

"What? Ehm, yeah, yeah, sure!" said Jason, but his blue eyes were telling me that his head wasn't with us.

If he really used vampire blood, I'd kill him. I swore!

It was around six o'clock as Jason said goodbye. I didn't want him to be with me either, since I could see clearly that his attention was not on me any more. There's something inside that thick skull of his that was bothering him. I could only hope that it was not vampire blood.

Vampires, just like a plague, brought many bad things to our lives. I wasn't talking about religious stuff, because for the religious people it was clear, vampires were only works of the devil. I wasn't saying that I wasn't religious, but I tended to be careful if somebody mentioned the word 'devil', 'Satan' or any other words which had similar meaning. My mother was a drunkard. Every time I asked her to stop drinking, or if she had done something bad, she always said, it hadn't been her who'd done that, it had been the devil in her. _Yeah, right. Blame it on the devil, so you can be free from your own sin_, I always said in my heart. On my mother's case, it had never been the devil. It was her and her long romance with Jack Daniels.

Worse than my mother, vampires came to our lives to reclaim the things that once had belonged to them. Either it had been a house or a piece of land. Then, their blood started being traded in the market. It was said, that it was stronger than any drugs that were available in the market. It was pricy, but quality was guaranteed. The older the vampire was, the stronger the effect of the blood, and automatically, the more expensive it was.

Around nine, Sookie came. I wondered how she could get past the security. The visiting hours were over at eight, but it seemed she had no problem at all entering the hospital. I wanted to ask the question when I saw her vampire. He must have done something…glamouring or something, that made the people do what he wanted.

Sookie didn't say much. Her beautiful blue eyes were watery and her hands were trembling as she pressed mine. "When I saw you last night, I thought I would lose you," tears rolled down her cheek.

There were many things I could say about Sookie, but unfaithful wasn't one of them. She had been a very faithful friend of mine. A sister, I never had.

"You're silly," I smiled.

"Indeed," her vampire said. "I told you, lover. She has vampire blood in her body. I can smell her from a mile away."

He didn't sound like a man from local, heck, he didn't even sound like any American. There was a soft accent in his voice, an accent that I had never heard before. By the way, 'lover'? Did he just call her 'lover'? He was much worse than Compton! His cold blue eyes looked at me and there was a smirk on his face.

"Interesting," he said.

"Why did everybody say that I have vampire's blood? I don't like vampires, and sure as hell, I won't take a drop of it!" I fought back his stare. I didn't care if he would be angry or not. He had to know that I didn't appreciate the way he called Sookie or the thing that he had told her. His smirk was getting wider.

"That would be interesting indeed,"

"You talk in riddle again, Eric." Sookie looked at him.

_Yeah, right, you tell him Sookie. Either he talks clear or he doesn't talk at all. You can call it riddle, I call it bullshit_! I said in my head.

Sookie's eyes got wider. "Tara!" she said.

Sookie was one of those cursed people, who could read or listen to other people's minds. Since she had earned a lot of money with her ability, I thought I couldn't call it a curse any more. Her vampire, who she had just called 'Eric' had asked her to work for him some weeks ago and he had paid her more than enough. Sookie said something about catching a thief that had stolen his money. But still, it was not an excuse to trust him or like him, just like that.

Suddenly his face was only some inches away from mine.

"Eric!" I heard Sookie yelling, but that face didn't move.

I could feel coldness coming out of his face, but I didn't feel any air coming out of his nose.

"You can lie to anybody else, but not to me," his eyes were narrowing, "I can feel it in me."

"What is so special about it? I don't even know his name!"

He lifted his face, smiling. "You don't need to," Again, he sniffed. Creepy, very creepy. As if he had wanted to smell my body…did he? "If you see him again, tell him, there is business between him and me that needs to be settled."

If I saw him again, I would rather go to hell than tell him anything about Eric. He's creepy and I didn't like creepy men, let alone creepy vampires!

He straightened his body. "We have to go, Sook," he said. "I don't want to leave Pam alone. It's full moon tonight."

I snorted. "So what? Are you afraid of werewolves?"

Wasn't that what they always did, in the movies, I meant? Vampires vs. Werewolves; fight of the centuries, or some crap like that.

Sookie chuckled, but Eric didn't. His smirks and smiles were gone.

"You don't want to know," he said.

"When can you go tomorrow?" Sookie kissed my forehead.

"I don't know. But as soon as I can go, I will call you."

Sookie nodded, and then she followed Eric.

"Hey you!" I called to the vampire.

He stopped walking.

"If you ever hurt her, me and my vampire will come to get you."

I expected a snort, or a laugh, but strangely, he didn't even turn around. From the way his shoulder suddenly got stiffened, I could tell that he took me seriously. Good, it's about the fucking time. It's enough that Sookie was hurt by Compton, I wouldn't let any other vampire do the same to her.

"See you tomorrow, Sook. You take care now!"

Sookie gave me a butterfly kiss and then in hurry she tried to catch the vampire's big steps. "Hey, wait!" I heard her calling him. "What is wrong?"

I tucked myself under the blanket. I knew it was wrong, but I felt good that I could get that tall vampire's attention. Whoever that grey-eyed vampire was, he must have been some kind of important vampire. From the little that I knew about Eric (Sookie couldn't stop yapping about him at any chance she got, especially after Compton had left her and I had to pretend that her stories had been interesting – for friendship sake), Eric was not the kind of vampire that got scared or impressed easily.

"Whoever and wherever you are," I whispered. "Thank you. BUT, don't take it for granted, you hear me. You're still a fucking vampire and I am allergic to vampires."

Unable to stop myself, I grinned.

xxxxx


	3. It was a dream  Was it?

**Author's Note:**

- Sorry for the very late update. My old compi had said goodbye to me. A loyal friend, but even a friend needs a time off *sigh*.

- Thank you very much to Northwoman, who beta'd the entire chapters of this story. I learn a lot from you, my dear!

- About the story, I don't want to use any other name, perhaps except Godric, than the names that Charlaine Harris used. For the minor characters, I try to be as imaginative as possible. I have no rights at all on the characters, they all belong to Ms. Harris.

- Callisto had no family name; therefore I gave her a name "Lyssa". Lyssa was the daughter of Nyx and Ouranos. She is the goddess of rage and fury in Greek Myth. She is also one of Eros' nurses. (Eros is the God of Sexual Love and Beauty = the son of Aphrodite (Goddess of Love) and Ares (God of War). In other word = poor kid!). In Aeschylus she appears as the agent of Dionysos sent to drive the Minyades mad. Athenian spelt her name 'Lytta'. Since the maenads worshipped Dionysos, I think, the name would fit Callisto well.

Chapter 3

**It was a dream...Was it?  
**

Sheriff Bud Dearborne was the first person who greeted me in the morning after the nurses had finished taking care of me. With him were Detective Andy Bellefleur and a police officer from Shereveport. They asked me questions about the accident, which unfortunately I couldn't answer. The answer 'I don't remember' which came out of my mouth too frequently, slowly drove Andy Bellefleur mad. He wasn't much known for his patience either, so it didn't surprise me much.

"Nobody lost their memory, just like that, Tara! Either you don't tell us the truth, or you are hiding something from us."

"Are you accusing me of lying?" I felt my blood boil. "I almost lost my life and you accuse me of lying?"

"What Detective Bellefleur wanted to say is…"

"I know what Detective Bellefleur wanted say," I cut the Sheriff short. "It's because I am a woman and I am black, so I did nothing good but lied!"

"Now, Ms. Thornton," the officer from Shreveport put his arms on his hips. "Nobody say anything about you are being a woman or black…"

"So what are you trying to say, Detective? I don't remember what happened. Don't you think I want to remember too? It's my head that is being messed up here. I don't know about you, Detective, but surely I want to remember e-ve-ry detail that happened in my life. I have nothing to tell and I don't have anything else to say any more. You want to know the detail, you talk to my lawyer."

"But you don't have any lawyer, Tara," said Andy. "You're just a bartender at Merlotte's!"

"So what now? I am poor and I am automatically guilty?"

The three of them looked at each other. "Let's make it like this," finally Sheriff Dearborne said. "You have a good rest now, and if you remember anything, anything at all, you call me, all right?"

Then the three of them said goodbye and left me. "We better talk to the doctor who takes care of her," I heard Sheriff Dearborne said.

"Is she always like that?" the officer from Shreveport asked him.

"More or less," Andy Bellefleur answered. "So now you know why I want to be transferred to another town. One more pig headed woman like her, and I'd better start thinking about that life insurance that has been offered to me."

I hated when people didn't believe me. Okay, it might have not been the appropriate answers or behaviour towards them, especially towards Sheriff Dearborne. He had been a good sheriff and a good man. He treated us strictly, but fair. I hadn't lied. I didn't remember anything at all. Was there any thing like temporary amnesia? Hmm, I'd better google it when I get home. There must be some kind of explanation about the thing that happened to me. Like Andy said, nobody lost their memories just like that.

Around noon, Doctor Fisher came to do the final check-up and didn't look exactly thrilled when he signed my release. "Return to the hospital as soon as you don't feel well," he gave the clipboard to the nurse. "Not that I am not happy to see you all right, Ms. Thornton. I just think that your recovery is not natural and I am worried about any side effects."

"Thank you so much for your attention, Doc." I felt my body warm. Nobody had ever given me such sincere attention like him. I always thought that doctors nowadays only care about their career. It seemed to be that there were still some old school types left.

Doctor Fisher nodded. "Who will pick you up? You won't leave this hospital by yourself, even if it means I have to chain you to the bed," he smiled.

"My friend – Jason Stackhouse will pick me up."

"Good. As soon as Mr. Stackhouse arrives, please ask him to wait for me because there's something that I have to tell him."

Sitting alone in my room, I couldn't help but think about what happened to me. My job as a bartender at Merlotte's forced me to stand hours and hours on my feet. Many times I came home with literally, dragging feet along the way or I didn't have the power any more to open my door. Had I been tired last night, driving the car with my eyes closed? Had I hit something…somebody? And what had that vampire been doing there? Had he been waiting for somebody…_his food, _perhaps?

I had to go back there and see it with my own eyes. I had to know. I couldn't and wouldn't stand still. If he was right that somebody had tried to kill me, then I had to know who that person was and why!

Jason came with a plastic bag, filled with fresh clothes and a pair of shoes. Sookie had put them inside, he told me. "Lafayette said hi," he said.

"He's not home yet?"

"No. Where is he, by the way?"

"He said he had some business to take care of…in Vegas."

"In Vegas?" Jason looked at me. "He's not trying to get that job again, is he?"

'That job' was a go-go dancer that Lafayette had done before his mother – my aunt, called him and told him to return. 'A dragon was trying to kill her,' Lafayette told me. "So I thought, hell, it's about the time to go home. The Lady can't handle the dragon alone, can she?"

He tried to joke, but I could hear the bitterness in his voice. Aunt Ruby-Jane was sick. She saw things, which weren't there, or in her words, they appeared only to her. It was harmless, actually. Mostly she saw people in shimmering lights dancing on her back yard or dragons. But slowly we were worried that she wouldn't see only shimmering people and dragons anymore. Somebody had to take care of her, before she hurt somebody else or herself.

However, I wasn't sure if he had gone to Las Vegas for the job this time. Lafayette had a rather serious relationship with a politician from Baton Rouge. Every third week-end of the month, they met each other in Vegas for rendezvous. I didn't like it. It was wrong. The politician, which I only saw on TV, was a lying piece of shit, who ran a campaign against same-sex marriage, but at the same time, he had been boinking Lafayette for how many years, I didn't remember any more. Lafayette would only hurt himself, if he continued doing it. But love is blind. I could only hope that he wouldn't be blind and stupid enough to think that they could go on forever like that.

"No, he's not," I sighed.

"Don't worry, Tara. You can stay at my place if you want," said Jason.

Oh, I would love to be at Jason's place, so that we could get closer and know each other's habits better! But no, Jason never liked me as a woman; he only saw me as a sister. And knowing Jason, he's not going to sleep alone. I'd rather see him and his woman on the street or at the bar than see or hear them at home. "Thanks, Jay. That's sweet. But I think I'll stay at my place."

"Okay, if that's what you want. But I am serious with my offer, all right?"

I smiled and nodded.

Doctor Fisher looked very thoughtful as we came to his office. "For the moment, Ms. Thornton has suffered amnesia, it's probably temporary and also probably caused by the accident, but I will conduct some other tests, to be sure. I hope it's nothing. Please return to the hospital if you experience dizziness or remember anything that happened prior to the accident. Don't take it lightly, Tara." He squeezed my hands. "And please, tell me if you remember anything."

As much as I appreciated his concern, I just thought his concerns were a bit too much. Did he always treat his patients like that, or was there something he didn't tell me?

"Come on, Tara!" Jason shook his head as I told him what I thought on our way to Bon Temps. "Doctor Fisher's been nice to you! He's just concerned about you. After all, you were his patient and you've been recovering very fast. I don't believe something that works so fast like that won't cause anything. I don't mean to be negative, if you know what I mean. But I learned that if you got something good easily, you will lose it easily too. Sometimes even much easier!"

Like that grey-eyed vampire. He had gone as fast as he had come….moment, why did I think about him? And how could I be so sure that he would be something good to me?

We crossed over the red bridge. I watched that bridge with emptiness in my heart. I didn't remember anything. I didn't even know where that vampire or the paramedic had found me.

"They said they'd found you there," Jason pointed at the left side of the road around a yard away from the bridge. "I really wonder what you were doing that night."

"Yeah, me too," I murmured. "What do you do, Jason, when you don't remember or understand something?"

"I go to Merlotte's and try to forget what I don't remember." Then, he laughed. His face was red. "Jeez, I don't know Tara. I can't forget what I don't remember, can I?"

I smiled. For a simple minded-person, Jason could be very clever from time to time. I guess he's right. I couldn't forget what I didn't remember.

Xxxxx

Brakk!

The wind opened the windows with force. It made such a loud noise that it forced me to get down from the bed and tried to close it. That's when I saw _him. _He was standing across the road with his eyes on me. He stood there like a statue; the wind that shook the trees and the street lamps like crazy seemed not to bother him at all. What was he doing here?

I closed the windows and ran to the door. I had to tell him that I didn't like the way he was watching me. Okay, he had saved my life and given me his blood, but it didn't mean that he had the right to stalk me. If he was angry that I didn't tell him that I was already home…well, it wasn't entirely my fault. I didn't know his name, on contrary, he knew my name! He could have asked around if he wanted.

I opened the door…"Hey, you!" I called to him. "What are you doing here?"

Within a blink of an eye, he was standing right in front of me. "Invite me in," he said.

"No fucking way!" I said. As long as I could breathe, I would never invite any vampire inside my house. This was my sanctuary; I didn't want it to be tarnished with undeads!

"The wind is too strong for you. If we are standing here, talking, it will make you sick."

He's right. I didn't think I could stand here any longer…but who's to say that I wanted to talk to him anyway?

"Invite me in, Tara. I don't want to glamour you."

"Don't you dare!" I opened the door wider. "What are you waiting for? Come in!"

He walked in and I closed the door. The room was again quiet. The sound of the howling wind was not as strong as before. "What are you doing here?"

"To see you. I want to know if you're okay."

"I am fine, thank you. You caused me problems with the doctor and a vampire named Eric. Do you know him?"

"Why did the doctors give you a problem?"

"They didn't believe that I didn't take any vampire blood."

"They're right. You had my blood in you," he walked some steps toward me. "That is what has cured you, not their silly medicine."

_Stop right there, _I said in my heart, but couldn't say it when he walked closer and closer. When he stopped, he was only one or two steps away from me. I pretended not to care, but I couldn't lie to myself as my heart beat faster. Somehow, I liked to be close to him like this.

"But I am glad that you didn't tell anybody about it." His pale and long finger was now running on my shoulder. "It's our secret." The string from my sleeping gown fell off my shoulder.

"I think you'd better leave," I said, trembling. I wasn't sure if it was from the coldness of his finger or the lust that suddenly overtook me.

He took a step closer. "Don't you want to know my name?" he whispered in my ear, whilst his hand was touching my arm. As much as I wanted to push that hand away, I could not help but admit I enjoyed the softness of his skin and the way it ran down my own skin, so slowly and carefully so it could touch every inch of my arm.

"No…yes…I don't know…"

He smiled. His lips were only some inches away from mine. "May I kiss you?" his voice was deep and growling.

"I…"

Brakk!

"Good morning, Sleepy head!" A cheerful voice, loud noise and a fucking bright light threw me out of my bed. Sookie was standing beside the window, wearing her hideous yellow summer dress. "I wanted to come yesterday, but Jason said you needed some rest. I hope you're not angry…" Then, she continued telling me about what had happened at Merlotte's. Terry had left Bon Temps; Sam was under a lot of stress because he had to manage the restaurant alone and talked about asking me to come to work as soon as possible.

For a moment, I wasn't able to do anything else, but stare at her empty mindedly. I wasn't sure which one was the dream. Was it Sookie, or the vampire? The question was answered immediately as soon as Sookie put a tray with a cup of coffee, a glass of orange juice, a plate with a slice of toast, fried eggs and bacon. And I cursed myself when I realized that somehow I wished that Sookie had been the dream one.

"A woman looked for you yesterday," she sat beside me. "She said Doctor Jacob Fisher sent her, a woman named Callisto Lyssa. Do you know her?"

I shook my head. "What did she want?"

"I don't know," she sipped the coffee. "She sounded serious."

Doctor Fisher…why did I have a feeling that I wasn't going to be able to get him out of my life? I took a deep breath. Well, what the hell! Maybe he had sent somebody who was able to help me remember what had happened that night. Well, I guessed, I had nothing to lose. Sooner or later, I had to face my memory anyway…why not sooner?

xxxxx


	4. The New Assistant

Chapter Four

**The New Assistant  
**

"All I can say, both Bill and Eric can sense me," Sookie looked thoughtful. Something was bothering her, I was sure of it. Either it was the fact that she had tasted the blood from two different vampires, or mentioning Bill's name had awaken the memories – both the wanted and the unwanted ones. Bill wasn't only her first vampire; he was also her first man. It might sound odd, not that it is odd to stay a virgin until the day you get married, but it isn't the case for Sookie.

She had the ability to listen to other people's thoughts. Of course it wasn't very convenient for her if every man she had ever dated was mostly thinking about her breasts. Heck, she had two really huge and beautiful breasts. She wasn't a never eating enough, almost starving and borderline anorexia looking kind of girl, but I wouldn't call her fat either. She was proper. Her garment size was around 8 or 10. Once or twice, she managed to wear a 6, but very rarely. Still, as much as she was proud of her breasts, she wasn't very happy either if the men thought _only _about her breasts.

Bill was different. He was a vampire, first of all. Bon Temps had never been visited by any vampire before. Then suddenly, out of the blue, he was there. I didn't believe in coincidence. People don't just show up for nothing. He must have been up to something. But like always, nobody listened to me. Sookie had been very excited to know that she couldn't hear his thoughts. A new beginning, she told me, a chance to finally live a normal life.

Hah! To live a normal life with a dead one, something was wrong in that sentence. First, to live, you need somebody who is actually living. Yes, Bill could talk, walk, sing and fuck. But there's no beating heart under that skin. And as it turned out, not only that he didn't have a biological heart; he also didn't have a heart in romantic sense. He had dumped her coldly for his maker. His maker, a beautiful Latina lady - skinny like a model, jet-black hair, bright green eyes, and loads of money, who had been with him for more than a hundred years and conveniently never mentioned by him.

Then, along came Eric. Tall, blond, handsome and not only looking like a rock star, but also acting like a rock star. His sense of style could only be matched by Lafayette. The way he carried himself was confident and cold. He wasn't the kind of person whom you could put in the middle. He was a kind of these extreme types. You either liked him or hated him. And when everybody could see how tender he was when he looked at Sookie, Sookie was the only one who didn't see and even refused to believe when I told her that he wanted her.

We had finished having breakfast about an hour ago. Instead of cleaning up, we returned to bed and lay down. I was too lazy to sit down and Sookie seemed more than willing to do it. I realized, we rarely did that anymore – simply laying beside each other and telling each other stories of simple things that happened in our lives. We had been too occupied by our jobs. The time had never been fitting for us. I had worked in the day time and she worked in the evening. By the time I had finished my job, she had just to go to work.

Some weeks ago, I still had worked in a supermarket. I had been fired. The manager said I had been too rude and unfriendly to the customers. 'Service, Miss Thornton, is our power. You have chased every customer that ever entered this place out. I am sorry, but you have to go.'

Well, the job had been lousy anyway. It had long hours with a small salary. There had been few customers and most of the time; I dozed, waiting somebody to come. Sookie asked if I was willing to work as a bartender at Merlotte's. What the hell, having a mother who was able to drink like a fish, mixing booze was one of my gifts.

"Did you also dream about them?" I tried my best to keep my tone as neutral as possible.

"Yes," her face was suddenly blushing. "Did you dream about him, Tara? What did he look like – your vampire, I mean? You don't say anything about him."

"He is _not _my vampire," I said. "Well, I didn't see him, to be honest. I only saw his eyes. They were huge, really huge! Did Eric tell you anything about him? He seems to know him."

"We don't talk about it," Sookie shrugged. "He seems reluctant to talk about him. I asked him once; he said it'd be better if I didn't know him."

"Wow! What is he? Is he some kind of fugitive or something?" I grinned. The idea that my savior was a trouble maker in the vampire world sounded very well to me, I loved when somebody 'stirred' their world a little bit. And if that somebody happened to be somebody I knew, the better it would be.

"You really don't like them, do you?" By 'them', Sookie meant vampires.

"No."

"Even when one of them has saved you?"

"That's a different matter!"

"What about your dream?" Her blue eyes shone brightly. "Tell me, please!"

"Nothing important," I hesitated.

"Oh come on, Tara! I dreamed about them. I know how it is!" her face was reddish from blushing, but she kept staring at me.

"It's just…," I took a deep breath, "He wanted to come in…," and _he wanted to kiss me_.

I continued in my head, and cursed myself knowing that Sookie still could hear me, but it seemed she respected our agreements that she would never enter my head, unless I asked her to, because she said, "I thought you would dream something sexual."

"Was that what your dream was about?"

"With Eric, yes. With Bill, it was more like that he wanted to hurt me."

"You should have listened to your dreams. How many times did you drink Eric's blood by the way?"

"Once."

"And how many times did you dream about him?"

Sookie didn't answer. It was enough for me to understand that she's still having dreams about him. Jesus, how many times would I have dream about that gray eyed vampire? Now that I had invited him in my dream, did that mean he would be able to enter my house?

"I don't know," Sookie said when I asked her. "I never ask either Bill or Eric. Maybe you should get to know him, you know. That's the very least thing you should do."

"What do you have in mind? Making my dream comes true?"

Sookie laughed. "Oh, I want to see that! Tara Thornton takes a vampire as a lover. That will be a sensation in Bon Temps! Imagine what the Miller Sisters will have for a subject!"

The Miller Sisters – Imogene and Savannah Miller, Bon Temps' very own queens of gossips. I wondered from where they had gotten all the news they always brought to anyplace they went, but they seemed to know everything. Yeah, what would they say if they saw me and a vampire walking hand in hand on the street of Bon Temps? It would be priceless, and just for the sake of my curiosity, I was dying to do that!

Sookie got down from the bed. "I think you'd better have a shower," she said. "Gran always said, even when we feel miserable…"

"We should not look miserable," I continued. Gran – that's the way we called Sookie's grandmother had been a warm hearted woman, a truly great lady, who had sheltered me from harm – during my mother's heyday of drunkenness. I would never forget her.

Xxxxx

Around noon, Callisto Lyssa knocked down my door. Wearing a dark blue and soft yellow summer dress, with her black hair opened, she looked more like a rich woman doing a charity job, than a social worker. I didn't want to think anything bad, but the golden bracelet with red stones on it, it must have cost more than my whole month salary! She had sun-kissed skin and dark brown eyes, so dark, that I swore they had been black. Her make-up was perfect and her smile was also perfect. Jeez, either I was lucky, or this lady had nothing better to do at home.

"Tara," her voice was soft and melodious, "you have been through a heavy trauma." Even it was a bad news that she was speaking of, it didn't change the fact that her voice was as beautiful as her face. "And I am here to help you. I want to help you go through the horrible accident," she touched my hand, but then like touching something hot, she took her hand off. What happened? She smiled. "I am sorry," she said. "It's all right for you if I am getting a bit familiar with you, not too familiar I hope…well, as a matter of fact, I do. But of course, if you don't mind."

I didn't know what she meant, nevertheless, "No, not at all."

"Perfect. Now, Tara, in order to be able to help you, I – we have to see each other a lot. You have to share everything that you remember or feel about the accident. Only then, can you get a complete recovery from that horrible accident. Do not hesitate, my dear. I'll be there for you, no matter what it takes."

That was sweet. Nobody ever said that to me, not even Sookie. Yes, she helped me a lot, but she hadn't _always _been there for me. She had always disagreed with something …well, most of the time.

Callisto (she had insisted to call me that way) took a card from her beaded handbag. A beautiful handbag, which I remembered seeing it on a famous designer's website. "This is my business card. Call me at any time. In fact, if you're willing, you can come and visit me."

The name and address on that business card was written in golden ink, with an old fashioned font style:

Callisto Lyssa

Social and Spiritual Conversation Partner

South-West Street 16, Bon Temps-Louisiana

Tel. 318-233-9100

"Nobody lives in South-West Street 16," I said. "I thought South-West Street ended with number 15. There's only an empty lot with a high fence on it.

"Oh, I bought the land beside the number 15, two years ago. There is a house on that land, Tara. It's a little bit deeper to the forest. I like secrecy." She bowed her head closer to mine. "You know how the people of Bon Temps are."

I snorted. "Unfortunately, Callisto, too well. Just too well. And I don't blame you if you built a thick wall. But then again, I'm not sure if whatever happens in your house won't be known by the entire Bon Temps society in a matter of seconds."

Callisto smiled. "I hope not. I have been searching for a quiet place to live and to work for a long time. It would be a pity if I didn't get it here."

We promised to see each other again tomorrow, around the same time at my place. "You are welcomed to come to my house, at any time, Tara," she said again before she left, "At any time."

By the night fall, I got weary. I got bored sitting and doing nothing at home. As much as what Internet could provide me, it was cold and dead. I wanted to talk to people, yeah, I could go to a chat forum and talk nonsense with the 'people' there; still they were faceless. I wanted to see some faces. Something, somebody I could touch. I just didn't want to be alone.

I decided to go to Merlotte's. If Sam didn't allow me to work, I would just sit and watch him mixing drinks. Or perhaps, I could watch Big John cooking. Not as sassy as Lafayette, however, it's worth it to learn one or two tricks of cooking from him.

"Tara!" Big John took me in his big sweaty body as he saw me. "Don't you think you should stay in your bed, Girl?"

"And missing the chance to see you making your famous gumbo? Not a chance!"

Big John released his hug and laughed. I loved seeing him laughing. His big muscled body would shake and his chest would move up and down. The sound that he made was deep and warm, as if it came from deep inside his soul. "I wanted to visit you, Tara, but then I heard you were already sent home."

"I was cured fast."

"Not too fast, I hope." His eyes were twinkling. "People could assume something."

I rolled my eyes. "People of Bon Temps do not assume, they believe, Big John. Don't you know that?"

"That's what I miss, Girl. Your to-the-point point of view."

"Where's Sam?" I looked around. Normally, when it's still early, Sam would be busy arranging stock in the store room, but I didn't hear anything there.

"You wouldn't believe," he bowed a little. "Sam hired a new assistant."

"What? What did he do that for?"

"Not exactly his assistant, _an assistant, _who helps anybody who needs a help."

"An all around assistant?" I shook my head. "That doesn't sound like Sam! Where is he anyway?"

"In the small kitchen, explaining how the things should be done to the new assistant. But I wouldn't go there, if I were you."

"What? He has his periods again?"

Sam Merlotte – the owner of Merlotte's Grill and Bar; my boss, had a very strange mood when the full moon was reaching its time. We called it 'Sam Merlotte's period days'. But the full moon wouldn't come in the next fourteen days. Why was he having a bad mood?

"No, but…" Big John lifted his both hands. "Trust me; it would be better for you, if you didn't enter."

That's tempting. I had to go to the small kitchen.

"Tara!" Big John's voice warned me, but I didn't care. Almost running I entered the small kitchen and…bang! The small room was filled the sound of crashing dishes and rolling pots hitting the floor.

"Tara? What are you doing here?" Sam sounded shocked, but it was me, who was under a total shock. On the floor, white as the colour of the wall, a young man was sitting on his ass. Around him were some pans and pots. The broken white shirt which its sleeves were folded showed some blue tattoos on both arms. Two buttons were open and showed also some blue tattoos on his chest. His hair was dark brown and wavy. His jaw was square and his lips were pink. He must have never touched a cigarette in his life. As our eyes met, I felt my body go limp. My head was spinning and everything blurred.

Those eyes were pale grey and big, as big as I could remember. And his voice was just as soft as it had been before. "Sam, I think she will collapse."

And that was the last sentence I heard.

xxxxx


	5. Wasting Emotions

**Author's Note: **Big Kiss and hugs for Northwoman.

Chapter Five

**Wasting Emotions  
**

I almost leapt from the sofa as I opened my eyes and found him sitting right beside me. Anyway, he had been faster. His hand grabbed my arms and forced me to keep lying down.

Jeez, it's fucking cold!

"You're not strong enough, yet." His grey eyes looked straight into mine. "My blood is not a miracle which can keep you going on and on without breaking. Sooner or later it will wear off." He sounded angry. "I didn't save you so that you could do foolish things like going to a bar the next day you were sent home from the hospital."

"How did you know…,"

Wait a moment, I stopped my own thought. Yes, moment - written in a huge M that anybody would understand it as 'murderous', because that was exactly what I was feeling right now. First, he might have saved me, but he didn't have any rights at all over me. I was a free agent; I could do whatever the fuck I wanted. Second, he should have somehow tried to contact me if he cared about my health so much. Third, why the fuck was he working at Merlotte's? Fourth, how old was he any way?

I looked at him from his head down to his toes. Jeez, he was white, very white. His white linen shirt didn't help him at all, if it didn't even made him paler – if it was possible. His lips…his lips…had kissed mine…oh, fuck! Why was I not able to stop thinking about that?

"Did you kiss me?" finally that damn thought came out. "I mean on the road, beside the bridge, did you kiss me?"

Somebody cleared their throat. It was Sam; he was standing beside the door, his hands on his hips and looking nervous. "I think I will leave you two alone." He opened the door and went out.

"Technically, no," he answered finally.

"Technically?"

"That was not the way I kiss."

I felt my face get hot. That was too much information, pal!

"I had to do it, I had to suck the blood out of your throat, otherwise you would have had blood clogged in it and it would have been too late for anybody to help you. You had to drink my blood to recover as soon as possible because your neck was broken. I could hear your heart beat was getting slower and slower. I also had to clean your mouth from the rest of the blood. Forgive me, if I was … carried away. Your blood tasted…,"

"Stop it. I don't want to hear it."

"My apology," his eyes blazed. "You should have stayed at home. You are still weak."

"I am not weak."

"You collapsed some minutes ago."

"Yeah, that's because I didn't expect to see you here….," _and I didn't expect you to be this young, _I continued in my head. How old was he, really? Guilt came over me. I had a dream about a boy, who might not have reached his age of consent yet! My chest was heavy. Suddenly I felt like a pervert.

Click, his fangs were out. What the fuck? What was he going to do?

"As much as you dislike my blood, you have to drink it again. Otherwise, you will return to the hospital tonight."

"Yeah, you wish! I'd rather return to the hospital again than have your blood in my body."

He looked at me. His pale eyes shone brightly. With the fangs out like that, he looked somehow menacing and…scary. The image of a young and clueless boy was gone. I could imagine that he could give some big boys in the vampire world some problems because that look…that look was like an angry animal.

"I will not let my blood being spilt for nothing," he hissed.

"Look, don't misunderstand me," I tried to smoothe things up. "I'm very grateful that you saved me and I owe you my life, but it doesn't mean that I want to be addicted to your blood and especially not to you…," I couldn't continue the word. How could I describe the word 'sexually'?

"Sexually?" He took the word out of my mouth. "It depends on how I am in bed…according to you." The lights in his eyes were calmer.

I cleared my throat. Jesus! He had a looser mouth than I did.

"How old are you, by the way? You don't seem to be old enough to have sex."

"My human years? I was seventeen."

I bit my tongue so that I didn't scream. Seventeen? Then, I came up with the next question, which I drew carefully, "Your vampire years?"

"Old enough."

"Old enough for what?"

"For having sex," his grey eyes looked right into mine. There was a light of certainty in them that told me exactly what he wanted. Swear to God, if I had some liquid in my mouth, I would certainly spit it out! My goodness, he's a loose cannon!

"Take my blood, Tara. Your body needs it."

"What is your name?" I ignored him.

He sat down. "Godric, my name is Godric."

He bored his fangs into his wrist. There was a sound of a burning iron dipped into water when he did that. Cssss. His fangs were covered with blood when he lifted his face. He gave his wrist – no, he shoved his wrist to my mouth more likely, before I managed to do anything. His blood was cold, as cold as his hand. However, soon I felt warm and light. He touched my forehead with the other hand.

"Don't treat your life as if it was something worthless, Child. It deserves something more than your anger."

He really should stop calling me 'Child'. I looked older than he did, and I was older – at least than his 'human years'. I was twenty-six and he was just seventeen! If there was somebody who deserved to be called 'Child', than it should be him!

He kissed my forehead when he gently took back his hand. "Now have some rest." He got up. He wiped off the corners of my mouth. "I have to go back to work." Then, he walked away.

"Godric, why did you save me? You could have left me to die or fed on me."

"Because life is precious. Nobody should die for nothing."

"And you kill for survival."

"Exactly, Tara. Nobody should die for nothing. Besides, I had already fed. Consider yourself lucky, but next time, just don't tempt me." He opened the door and left me speechless.

Xxxxx

I cuddled myself on my way home. Sam insisted on driving me home. His face was twisted and his lips curled.

"You are the most stubborn, irresponsible, childish, careless person I've ever known," he hissed under his breath. "If you had died at my restaurant, I would chop you into pieces and have made a hamburger out of you!"

"Poor Andy," I grinned. Andy Bellefleur loved hamburger. In fact, that was his main and only dinner. Every time he ordered something to eat at Merlotte's, it was always a hamburger and French fries.

Sam growled. "That's not funny!" But his lips were not curling any more. "Good thing Godric was there!"

Sam was just like me, he didn't like vampires so much. However, it seemed he had a different opinion about Godric.

"How long have you known him, anyway? You seem to trust him."

"Not long," he turned the car to Blanc Alley, where I lived. "Besides, it's good for business if I hire a vampire as an employee. You know how much True Blood costs, and any restaurant which sells it receives some kind of extra protection from the government."

True Blood was a kind of beverage that – they say, replaced blood. A scientist from Japan had invented it. The first thought was to supply the need for blood in the market, but nobody ever considered that there would be something different happening. Who had ever thought that vampires existed anyway?

There were pros and cons to the existence of vampires and their intention to live side by side with humans. Some countries refused them and some accepted them. The USA was one of the countries which accepted it. Not all states totally agreed with that, and less restaurants or hotels were willing to accept them as their guests. Therefore the governor of Louisiana decreed any restaurant or hotels which were willing to sell or provide the needs of the vampires would receive incentives. Either money or security personel, I wasn't sure.

"And you hired a vampire despite the knowledge that some of your employees don't like them?"

"What do I care about what my employees feel? If they don't like my decisions, they can find other places to work."

Wow, touché!

"Sorry, Tara, but I'm really have a lot of things on my mind. Without Lafayette in the kitchen, the situation is a little bit out of control, so I thought if Godric could manage the small kitchen, I won't have to run around from the bar to the kitchen and could concentrate more on service. Anyway, you seem to know him well, so why the hate?"

"I don't know him and no, I don't hate him." I wasn't sure any more if I even disliked him.

"Just be careful, Tara. He's a vampire. You'll never know how they will react."

I smirked. "Tell me about it."

Sam's face looked stern as the car stopped in front of my house. "Whatever you do, just be careful, all right? Strange things are happening these days."

I nodded. "Thanks, Sam."

Sam nodded and turned around the car.

I dragged myself inside and decided to call off tonight. Shouldn't I be happy, knowing who had saved me? At least now I didn't have to call him 'my vampire' or 'my angel'…it's just knowing his name seemed to give him more power in my life, to interfere with my business, to bother my feelings. But, could he do all of that, if I didn't let him? Should I let him or should I refuse him completely? He seemed to be harmless. He might have even run away from something, perhaps from Eric or some other stronger vampires. Heh, Eric. I would not tell him about Godric, and I just hoped Sam wouldn't tell Sookie about Godric and me.

I laid my head down on the pillow. Godric's big pale grey eyes suddenly appeared. I sighed. I really should stop thinking about him. Maybe, just maybe, if I did something in return and our debt was settled, he would leave me alone; yeah, perhaps something like that.

Xxxxx

Callisto called me early in the morning and invited me to come to her place for a cup of coffee. I was really not in the mood to tell a total stranger about any of my feelings, but her voice sounded soothing and after my meeting with Godric last night, I really needed something totally different to distract me. Thank God, vampires were dead during the day, so the chance to bump into him anywhere on the streets of Bon Temps was zero.

Her friendly face and melodious voice greeted me as she opened the door. "Come in, Tara. You're just in time for breakfast."

"Oh, I hope I didn't interrupt you or something."

"Nonsense!"

She took my hand and led me to the kitchen. What she called 'the kitchen' was a huge place beside a swimming pool. It was almost as big as my entire house! In the centre of the room was a huge table, which was filled with all kinds of cheese, sausages, beverages and breads. The man, who was standing beside the table came to me and greeted me. His name was Bassaris, but he was satisfied with 'Bass' as a nickname.

"Ms. Thornton will have breakfast with me, Bass. Could you please arrange a table for two?"

"Yes, Ma'am," he nodded and left us.

"You have a butler?" It's a foolish question, but I couldn't help myself from being astonished.

"Oh, Bass is more than just a butler. He's a friend. I help him and he helps me. He's a very loyal soul too. You would love him, once you got to know him."

"I am sure I would. I love men who can cook."

"Then it means I have a chance."

A deep voice behind me made me turn around. A tall dark skin man was standing only some steps away from me. The tight dark red t-shirt that hugged his six abs didn't prevent the perfectness of his body to show. He had strong cheek bones and sandy hair, but what amazed me the most was the long lashes framing his eyes. Jesus, what a beautiful man! I turned to Callisto in order to prevent my jaw from dropping any further.

"Tara, I want you to meet Sat, well, his real name is Dennis, just don't ask me why he prefers to be called Sat."

"Because I like the sound of it. Dennis sounds so…common." He shook my hand. "Nice to meet you, Tara."

"Nice to meet you, too…Sat."

Over breakfast, which Callisto had managed to persuade me to have, she told me that Sat came from New York. He took a break from his studies at Brown University to help her arrange her matters in Bon Temps.

"I am his god-mother," Callisto touched his hand. Her eyes flickered for a moment, and then she laughed, "And a very proud one. I guess you can see that, can't you?"

I smiled. Callisto was definitely too young to be his god-mother, but I supposed I had to believe her.

A day at her place definitely went by quickly. We talked about Bon Temps mostly. What people did for a living, their habits and some recreational places. Merlotte's was the center of the town, actually and the church, of course. Sometimes I had a feeling that people went straight to Merlotte's after the Sunday sermon and drank there. I saw exactly the same faces in the church and at Merlotte's. They behaved rather differently – especially their mouths.

Except perhaps Hoyt Fortenberry. He was just the same, in the church or at Merlotte's. Sookie even said he thought the same: Polite, kind and never saying a bad word about other people. It's kind of strange, knowing that his best friend was Jason, the champion of swearing, drinking and fucking. To think about it, I had never seen Hoyt dating.

I loved her place. It was arranged and decorated like many houses I saw in magazines. All were chic and fitting. There were many little ornaments and statues and what fascinated me the most was the banquet beside the swimming pool. The table was always full of food and wine, as if Bass never stopped working. And the music! The house was filled with a soft music, like somebody was chanting a prayer in a language that I didn't understand. I was not religious, but if there was a time when I felt so peaceful and close to God, then it would be now.

The western sky displayed red colours as I realized I had spent my whole day with them. Reluctantly, I said goodbye to them. Sat insisted he should drive me home. "Sooner or later, you'll be my guide, so I think why don't we start now? Shall we say, at eight o'clock I pick you up and we go to Merlotte's?"

I would love to, but Godric would be there too. He would be angry if I didn't stay at home and Sam, too. I didn't want Sam to be furious. He was in a strange mood these days, I didn't want him to fire me just because he felt like it. I needed this job.

"Oh, I see." Sat looked disappointed. "Is there anybody I should know about?"

"What? Oh, no!" I said. He thought I had a boy-friend or something like that. "The thing is, I just returned from the hospital. The doctor said that I should take some time to rest."

Sat smiled. "Now I feel better. Call me please, when it's okay for you to go out and have some fun with me. I'll be honoured."

"Sure, I'll do that." If it had been up to me, we could've done it tonight.

And it went on for three days. I spent the day at Callisto's place (thank God, she didn't ask me to call her 'Cal' or any other short form. Bass, Sat and Cal, it sounded like a rock band or a very bad title for a soap opera) and at night I mostly slept. Sookie complained that she couldn't reach me during the day any more. But what could I say? I loved their company. Even though we had just known each other for a short time, I felt like Calllisto knew me through and through. She didn't ask me about my fast recovery, and she even didn't react when on the second day I lost my temper as my mother called me via my mobile and asked me to pick her up from god knows where!

"You can go to hell!" I screamed as I closed the phone.

Callisto held me tightly. "Don't waste your emotions towards people who don't deserve it, Tara." She kissed my cheek.

The other strange thing that happened, Godric didn't visit my dreams. Well, I didn't mean to call it strange, because then it sounded as if I had expected him, but somehow it was strange. I couldn't and didn't want to call him at Merlotte's, because honestly, I didn't know what to say to him…and why did I want to call him anyway? Okay, he had given me his blood, twice, but it didn't mean that I had to report to him my whereabouts or what I did during the day.

But then, my feet did exactly the opposite of what my brain had been ranting. I found myself standing at the door of small kitchen, watching him watching the dish-washer running. He didn't turn around when he said, "You smell like the woods."

I sniffed myself. What did he mean that I smelt like the woods? I didn't wear perfume which contained wood or plants in any form. Yes, I had been at Callisto's place and we had sat on the grass, eating fruit and listening to the music. Sat read a sonnet from Shakespeare with his deep melodious voice….I sighed. That voice was intoxicating!

"I was with a friend," I said, and cursing myself for trying to excuse what I had done to him. Who the fuck did he think he was anyway?

"A friend…" he turned around. His grey eyes blazed. "Good for you to have a friend." But his voice told me something different. He's angry. Why was he angry?

"Yeah," I tried to be as cheerful as possible. "He even asked me if I was willing to be his guide." Again, another try at excusing myself.

"What did you say?"

"Why the fuck do you care?"

"I don't."

"Fine. Then, you don't need the answer."

"Perhaps, I don't."

"Then why did you ask?"

He walked towards me. "Because," there was no smile on that face, "you told me. Why did you tell me if you don't want to tell me the other parts?"

Yeah, why had I done that?

He was very close to me now. I could feel the coldness of his skin. His arms, which were not covered by his sleeves, showed his tattoo completely. It was a kind of alphabet. I had never seen an alphabet like that before. Yeah, I saw many brothers wearing tattoos, but mostly the tattoos were initials of their gang name, devils – or the faces of devils, dragons and naked women. But his tattoo…not able to stop myself, I put my index finger on one of the letters, which looked like 'R'.

"What does it mean?"

"_Raido_," he said. "It means 'journey'."

"And this?" I touched the one which looked like 'P'

"_Wunjo," _his face was getting nearer. I could feel his nose touching my hair. I wanted to lift my face, but I didn't. As much as I wanted to deny it, I could feel my skin tingling and my knees were weak. "It means 'glory', 'wisdom', 'wishes'."

"What was that language?"

"A dead one."

This time I lifted my face. He didn't want to tell me. What was he hiding? But the result of my action was worse than I thought. My face was exactly under his, and so were my lips. Our lips touched and without saying anything, he cupped my head in his hands and kissed me. I kind of expected he would kiss me greedily, passionately, but no. He kissed me softly and tenderly, but it was hot. His tongue wrapped mine gently and took its time sucking it. I held him to prevent myself from falling. My knees couldn't support my weight any more as his kiss was like fire burning me.

When he let me go, my mouth was open and I was out of breath. God, where did he learn to kiss like that? A single kiss and already my body boiled with lust. My heart beat like crazy and my hands were trembling.

He touched my nose and kissed it on the tip. "Now, technically, I've kissed you."

I felt my face burning. "Yes, you have." I stepped backward, but my knees felt like jelly now. I fell, but Godric caught me just in time. I appreciated that he didn't smile or give any hint of victory. Moreover he looked sincere when he said, "You have had enough rest?"

"Yes, thank you." I forced myself to stand straight. "Why did you say I smelt like woods?"

"You do. You smell as if you had been in the woods, surrounded by animals."

Hmm, that's weird. I had been with Callisto, in her house. And as far as I knew, there wasn't any animal there. I let myself go. "I told you, I was at a friend's place."

"I believe you. Still, it doesn't change the fact of how you smell." He touched my hair. "How do you feel now?"

"I am good, actually. I've been lazy for the last three days, I'm thinking about going to work again. I can work now, can't I?"

"If you wish.

"Oh, you god damn know exactly that is what I wish."

He smiled. His pale eyes flickered for a moment, and then they were again cold. "You might have my blood, but I am not taking any liberty to decide what you want to do with your nights. With your days, on the other hand, I'd ask you to be careful. I might not be there when you need me."

I snorted. "Don't flatter yourself! You're not my man and I can assure you right now that I don't need..."

Suddenly he grabbed me and cutting off my words he kissed me. This time, it was greedy and passionate. His tongue wildly searched for mine and when it was found, he sucked it strongly. I wanted to move backwards, but my back was against the wall. I raised my hands and wanted to hit him, to set myself free from him. However, as my hands touched his shoulder, they didn't do what my head told them to do, instead they held onto his shoulder.

The sound of dish-washer had already gone for quite some time and was now replaced by the sound of the table, which was rattling as Godric lifted me onto it. He stood between my legs, which opened wide and held his hips. The will to push him away, refuse him or even say words that could be understood as not wanting him had left my head. Instead, I wanted him more.

Each of my legs wrapped around each of his and pulled his body closer to mine. I could feel his lower limb harden, touch my own, which was not so innocently wet. And when my knees touched his ass, I could hear him moaning. For a second, he pulled his body away, before he continued kissing me in even more passionate way. I had never been kissed or touched by a man as rough and desperate as Godric seemed. His cold hands squeezed my arms, my hips and when they managed to go under my t-shirt, they squeezed my back and slowly crawled to the front. I believed if I hadn't stopped him, he would have squeezed my breasts as well.

"What did you want to assure, Tara?" he murmured as he kissed my neck.

"I…I… don't need you," Out of breath, I answered.

He lifted his face. His eyes were wild and his fangs were out. There was a grin on his face that made him look sinister. "I like girls, who know how to fight."

"Woman. I am a woman, not a girl, and especially, not a child!" There. I said it.

He laughed. "You're not the first one whom I called 'my child'…"

"Oh, thank you for telling me that. So, I am not your first 'girl-child', but…"

"You're the first one, who refuses to be called that way…after such a long time…"

There was a bitter sadness in his voice that made me feel sorry. How old was he any way? One hundred, two hundred, fifty years old?

"You have a lot of tattoos," I tried to change the subject. "You were seventeen years old when you were made a vampire…,"

"When I was turned, that's the way we say it."

"Whatever, and…,"

"No, don't 'whatever' my status as a vampire. You also don't want me to 'whatever' your status as a black woman."

"African-American, that's the way we say it."

"Exactly."

We looked at each other and broke into smiles. I never thought I would find something in common with a vampire.

"Anyway," I continued. "If you were turned when you were seventeen…these tattoos must have been made before, because if I am not wrong, vampires heal from injuries very fast. And if tattoos are considered as injuries...,"

"Godric…," suddenly the door was opened. Big John's face popped up out of nowhere. Panicking, I tried to set myself free from Godric, but he stopped me. "Oh, hi Tara!" I forced myself to grin and wave at him.

"I am going to need the dishes and the pots, man," Big John said, grinning.

"I'll be right there in a minute," Godric said. "And Big John," his voice was suddenly getting deeper.

"Yes, Godric?"

"You don't see anybody else in this room."

Suddenly Big John's face looked blank. "Yes, Godric," Then, he closed the door.

"You glamoured him!" I said, almost screamed.

"Yes, I did. Or do you want him to see you sitting on the table, having me between your legs? I have no problem with that." Godric ran his fingers on my shoulders and moved closer.

"Uh-uh, no fucking way!" But I didn't move. Yes, no fucking way, but there's also no fucking way to let him go easily.

"Then it's settled." Now his hands were on my thighs.

"Still it's against my principals to let another human be glamoured, especially when it's done on my behalf!" My own hands were on his back, running down to his ass and pushing it softly against my body. Jeez, something was growing big and hard down there!

"We live in a difficult time, Tara," his voice sounded trailing, as if he was remembering something. "Sometimes the choices we make are matters of survival and not principal. It doesn't make you bad or good, it makes you human,"

He moved away. I was a bit surprised at his reaction. On second thought, maybe it's better he moved away. One more minute and we would probably do it, there, on the table, among dirty dishes and pots.

"Godric," I caught his hands. "Thank you for saving me."

He kissed my hand. His eyes were tender and his touch was gentle. "We'll talk again, Tara." Then, within a blink of an eye, he opened the dish-washer, took the dishes and the pots and went out.

Xxxxx


	6. Remembering the Night

**Author's Note:**

1. Happy Belated Halloween, everybody!

2. I might not say it often, but I am very thankful to you guys, for the reviews and the reading. I'll do the best I can to write the chapters in a more regular tack.

3. Last but not least, big hug and kiss for Northwoman, who's beta'ing this story. Thanks, my dear!

* * *

Chapter Six

**Remembering The Night****  
**

I woke up with a heavy head. I didn't know what had influenced me to do what I did with Godric in the small kitchen, but for sure, it hadn't been the detergent.

It had been a week since I returned to work at Merlotte's. During the day, I spent time at Callisto's, doing almost nothing, except eating, drinking and listening to Sat reading poems or singing. Really, that man had a voice. He should have studied music or something, instead of sociology and anthropology science! And in the evening I served booze to some of the most uneducated people on this planet, my own neighbors.

From time to time, I went out to the back yard to have my cigarette break. Yeah, I know, 'smoking can endanger your health' or 'smoking is deadly' like what's standing on its package, but I just couldn't stop it. And from time to time, Godric would come out from the small kitchen, carrying out garbage or simply minding his own business, which I didn't ask. One look, just one look, and I'd find myself in his arms, groping him and being groped by him. He would push me to the wall, and then kiss me, touch me and I swear to God, sometimes it looked like that he wanted to bury his fangs into my flesh.

I had to admit that I admired his self-control, the opposite of my self-control, which didn't exist. On one occasion, I had been the one who bit him on his neck, which made him growl. He then took a breath (which was fucking weird, since he didn't breathe) and continued kissing me without letting his fangs touch my skin. On the contrary, sometimes I wished those fangs would be buried into my flesh so that I could feel them and decide if I liked it or not.

And every time I went to work, I told myself, tonight, 'I won't get near Godric. Tonight, just tonight, I'll be able to tell him to stop doing whatever he's doing to me'. Then, I found myself getting nervous every time I went out for smoking and getting more nervous when Godric came out from the small kitchen too late.

Last night, I had gone to work wearing a white skirt. I rarely wore any skirt and as far as I could remember I mostly wore jeans, just like many girls in Bon Temps. I had worn this skirt maybe once or twice in my life. The skirt was a present from Gran, a long skirt, with a slit in the front. The slit was high enough so that I could walk easily. Gran said a lady must possess one or two long skirts, so that she could present herself in an elegant manner. 'Not always Jeans, Tara. There are occasions where we should present our feminine side.' Was 'working in a bar' one of the occasions, or 'was I hoping that special someone would notice my feminine side' one of the occasions?

I heard some people whistle.

"You should wear skirt more often, Tara." Arlene, the other waitress at Merlotte's said. "You look fab, Girl!"

I smiled. I was a bit nervous, waiting for Godric to come out and see me. However, when he came out, he looked at me, once, and then walked away without saying anything. To be honest, I was disappointed. I kind of expected that he would say something. I didn't expect him to jump around and say how beautiful or nice I looked, but one or two words were surely expected.

When he didn't go out as usual, I went to the small kitchen. It couldn't be that he was avoiding me! He was standing beside the dish-washer as I entered the room. He looked just like any other man from Bon Temps, especially with the red wood-cutter shirt that he was wearing. Now that his tattoos were covered, he looked even younger and…normal.

He looked at me and then at his shoes, or floor, I wasn't sure. "Tara…," he said and then he was quiet.

I closed the door and walked towards him. "Is something wrong, Godric?"

"No," he turned his face away.

Oh yes, there was. I touched his hair, softly ran my fingers through it and then went down to his neck.

"Don't…," he stopped me. "Just don't…"

Our eyes met. I felt my blood go cold when I saw the lights in his. There was sadness and a bitterness that was stronger, much stronger than before. It reminded me of Lafayette's eyes when he was talking about his mother. I realized, Godric was remembering somebody. I'd better not bother him. I walked away from him, but suddenly he caught my hand.

"You look…" He stopped and I waited. "…lovely."

Lovely? I lifted my hand off his head. Hmm, it seemed I had dressed wrongly, at least in his eyes. Okay, I understood. Slowly I walked away. He's a bit nostalgic, and I was bothering him. At least, that's what I hope, _remembering_ and not _thinking about her _or worse, _lusting her._

Suddenly he pulled me into his arms.

The next thing I knew, I was again, sitting on the table, spreading my legs apart and holding him between them. He had taken off his shirt and thrown it on the floor, showing me his body. I couldn't believe my eyes! He had a small and fragile frame, but his body was full of tattoos; on his left and right arms, across his chest and on his back, even right on the middle of his spine! All of them were made with blue ink, except one on the right shoulder. It was round and in red. Jesus! All those tattoos must have been made before he was turned! When had he started having them? Thirteen? Fourteen? What was he?

But my thoughts were robbed by his touch soon enough that I couldn't care less about his tattoos anymore. He wasn't careful when he opened my blouse, to put it kindly. As a matter of fact, he tore it apart. One or two buttons jumped as soon as his hands pulled the blouse. My bra was broken in one pull. God, God. It's either he was on fire or he was a rough lover. I held his head and screamed as he sucked my nipple. There was a mix of feelings between pain and pleasure. I didn't know which one was the stronger one, but I loved it.

"Godric…!" I gasped. He lifted his face. His fangs were out, but I didn't see any blood on them.

"Tell me if you don't like what I do, and I'll stop it," he said.

"Oh, shut up!" I said and put his head back where it had been. I felt his cold tongue on my nipple again and my head spun. His hands were now on my thighs and impatiently tried to remove my panties. If we were going to have it here and now, I was ready. Yes, I wanted to feel him inside me. This table was probably not big enough for us, but I didn't care. I kicked off my shoes and removed his belt.

He moaned when my hand literally and not so gently grabbed his cock. My, oh my! I thought only the brothers had such a confident size like this! I admitted Godric would be the first white man I'd slept with. Not that I had been picky or something, I just hadn't had a chance to be with one of them, until now.

Then, I heard Godric murmuring a word I didn't understand. Something sounded, 'kandake' or 'Candace'. Candace… I pushed him away and angrily tried to fix my blouse. Candace…sounded like a name of a woman to me. _Thank you for ruining my mood, you asshole!_ I stepped down from the table.

Godric's face was pink. And I thought vampires couldn't have colour on their faces, but obviously, I was wrong, like many other things!

"Tara…," his voice was growling; his eyes were wild and his fangs were out. Maybe it was just me, or they looked certainly bigger than normally.

"Fuck you, Godric!" I picked up my shoes and stormed out of the small kitchen.

After that, I couldn't concentrate any more. My mood was getting fouler and I decided to go home early. Sam was glad to release me. It seemed after the third shout, he realized, that his business would be doing better if I wasn't there.

I stood in front of the mirror and picked myself apart. I wanted to be sure that there were no traces of it. I touched my lips. Were they swollen? I moved closer. With the way he had kissed me, I wanted to be sure that they were normal. There were some little wounds on them; his fangs must have cut them, but why had I not felt it? Had I been really horny?

On the radio, a song was played. A nice dancing song. The singer talked about the hands that were cold, but the lips were warm. "Oh, shut up!" I threw my lotion bottle at it. Really, I didn't need to be reminded of Godric, especially, not by a radio! The radio moved a little and continued its silly song.

"Bad time?"

Sookie popped up out of nowhere.

"Sort of," I sat down on the bed. "You're early,"

"I've got to go to Dallas."

"Dallas? What for?"

"Eric wanted me to accompany him…strictly business," she added the last word hastily. "Something about a vampire is missing. It seemed this vampire is important for the Dallas Vampire Community."

"What about the vampire whom he asked me about? Did he say something about him?" I tried to find out. He worked at Merlotte's now; Sookie must have known or been suspicious about it.

"No, he hasn't found him, yet." She sighed. "He wanted to ask you, if you or he contacted each other or not."

"And?"

"I said no," she played with her hair.

"He listened to you? Wow, that's a surprise!"

She shrugged, as if it had been nothing. I thought, in their relationship, Eric had been the one who had the word. It seemed, Sookie could take care of herself better than I thought!

"I don't want to see you and Eric bickering. Eric can be very dangerous if he thinks you play him. I know you met him again…oh, don't give me that look, Tara!" Her eyes were getting bigger. "No, I didn't read your mind, but I am your friend. Besides, your mood last night betrayed you.

"What?"

"Come on, everybody knew when you were having some problems with your boy-friend, you were always nasty. Nastier than normal if I may say so. Where did you two meet any way? And what did he do to you…oh, don't tell me…you didn't!"

I swore, if those eyes could get bigger, they would pop out from her eyes!

"Did what?" I tried my best to be as innocent as possible.

"Sex."

"Sookie, I beg you! Who do you think I am?" I got up. "Of course not!" Well, almost, if only he hadn't ruined it! "But yeah, we kissed."

"And?" Now, she's curious. I bet not only her. The whole of Bon Temps would be curious to know my answer, if they had found out I had kissed a vampire!

"O la la," I grinned. Now I was the one who was curious to know what Godric would have said or done if he had heard my answer.

"You, bitch!" Sookie laughed.

"Don't tell Eric about it, all right? I don't want him to get into problem with Eric."

"I don't know that you care about him."

"Well...," I sat down again. "He looks young and fragile. Eric would crush him in no time if they ever faced each other."

"Ah, Eric isn't like that. He looks big, tall and all of that. But I never see him out of control. And he holds up the rule. I think if he ever catches your vampire, he will bring him to a kind of court and not put the justice on his own hand."

"You speak highly of him," I looked at her rather surprised. I thought with the way he carried himself, Eric would be one of those assholes, who thought with their powers or beauty, they could do whatever they wanted. Sookie shrugged. She seemed to be surprised too. "And I don't know there's a kind of court in Vampire world."

"There is. I am not clear how it works, but they have rules and regulations too." Her head tilted. "How old is he, anyway?"

"Seventeen."

She mouthed it. Seventeen?

"His human years, I mean, when he was turned."

"Oh-oh," Sookie sat down beside me. "It doesn't sound good. Eric was a Viking warrior and he was in his early twenties when he was turned. As a warrior, he must have had good fighting skills. And your vampire…seventeen… how old is he, I mean, vampire years?"

"I don't know. I didn't ask," I lied. Godric hadn't answered that question and I hadn't asked him again. "How old is Eric?"

"Around 1000 years old, at least that's what Bill told me. Oh-oh, he really won't stand a chance against Eric."

Her voice sounded concerned. Something I loved about Sookie, she had a heart like an ocean. When she cared about somebody, she would truly care. You could hear it in her voice, and see it in her behavior.

"So don't tell him, all right?"

Sookie pressed my hand. "I promise."

"When will you go to Dallas?"

"Tomorrow evening. You will go to Callisto's place again today?"

"I don't know. I am really not in the mood to meet anybody. Why?"

"I feel uncomfortable seeing your relationship with her growing that fast. She's a stranger and supposed to be your therapist. She's doing your session in her house, where her god son also lives …I don't know, Tara. It doesn't seem right."

"You should meet her, Sookie. She's a very nice person, honest!"

"Maybe I should. At least I'd know who you're dealing with while I am in Dallas."

I rolled my eyes. "Don't start behaving as if you were Gran, because you're not, okay?"

"Jeez, Tara! You really are in your stinky mood! I am not your vampire, okay? If you're angry with him, just tell him! Don't tell me you can't open your mouth in front of him!"

"No fucking way! It's just, it's annoying the hell out of me that it seems he still carries somebody's name in his heart! He even called her name when we were making out!"

"Tara!" Sookie looked surprised. "What do you expect? They live like forever! Of course there are names in their hearts that they will carry forever. If the names slip out, it's normal!"

"Bill told you that? Because listen sister, you don't have enough experiences to tell me that!"

Her eyes were watery. "I know I only had Bill, but I also have a heart and a brain, which I can use from time to time. I am not my brother!"

Oh, fuck! Why did I have to mention his name? "Sorry, Sookie…"

She raised her head. "I'm fine, thank you," she said as if I had asked her how she was doing. "It's you who should learn to control your mouth, Tara." She tilted her head and smiled. "If your vampire manages to make you do that, I'll take his side at any time he wants, even when it means I have to stand against Eric."

"Traitor!" I smiled back.

"What's his name anyway, your vampire?"

Yeah, what should I tell her? She had met Godric. If I said it was Godric, I was sure she would run and tell Eric. Yeah, what should I call him? Suddenly, I remembered one of the tattoos he had on his arms. "Raido. Just call him 'Raido'."

"That's a strange name," she said. "Did he tell you where he came from?"

I shook my head. "And Eric?"

"Vikingland. Somewhere in Europe, I suppose."

"Yeah, he doesn't sound like people from around here."

"What about Raido? Does he sound like a foreigner too?"

To be honest, I didn't pay attention to that part. "Enough with this blah blah blah about vampires. Let's prepare ourselves and go to Callisto's."

Xxxxx

Callisto didn't look amazed as she saw I wasn't alone. She shook Sookie's hand and smiled as they were introduced, but the friendliness that normally was in her eyes, wasn't there. Sookie looked confused. Her eyes were wide open when she saw Sat.

"Now I know why you like coming here," she whispered in my ears. "Don't let Raido know about it, otherwise, oh boy, you'll be in a deep shit!"

Good if Godric knew about it. So he knew not to treat me like that! I mean, calling his bitch's name while making out with me, no fucking way!

The atmosphere which had been always cheerful when I was at Callisto's now was some degrees colder. There was something in the air that I couldn't explain. Callisto didn't seem to be pleased seeing Sookie. Was it because I brought her there without telling her first? She was still nice and pleasant as always, but I could tell that she and Sat seemed to refrain themselves.

"You have a wonderful house, Ms. Lyssa," said Sookie. "We always thought this lot was empty."

"Thank you, Sookie," Callisto didn't bother to say 'Call me Callisto' as she had done to me, and it seemed she had no intention to do it either.

We walked around the back yard. Sat had excused himself to return to his room. He had some assignment from his faculty he wanted to continue. What a pity, I liked having him around. He always smelled good and the movement of his abs was always a pleasant view.

"Amazing," Sookie gushed for the x times. "Very amazing! If only I could arrange my back yard like this…,"

Yeah, that would be lovely. That back yard really needed a loving hand. It had been abandoned since Gran died, around a year ago. Neither Sookie nor I had the guts to face that back yard. Too many memories of Gran. I simply couldn't put my feet on it without remembering her and crying over her.

"Really?" Callisto's eyes turned darker. "I would love to do the gardening, if you agree."

"You would? Oh, that's really nice of you, Ms. Lyssa."

"It's a deal then. I will see what you have and we talk about it."

"Great!" Sookie grabbed Callisto's hand and shook it. It was a normal gesture that Sookie did if she thanked somebody. But then, something strange happened. Both of them let their hands go as soon as they touched each other. This wasn't the first time I saw Callisto let her hand go so fast. But it was indeed Sookie's first.

"Wonderful!" Callisto's smile was wider as her eyes turned darker and darker. Then, for a moment, just a short moment, I saw a red light coming from those eyes. It was short, but bright enough it made me take some steps back. I remembered seeing that kind of light in wild dogs or foxes that sometimes come out in the night to look for food.

"Tara, are you all right?" asked Sookie.

I nodded quickly. I must have looked like I had seen a ghost because both Sookie and Callisto turned their heads quickly to me. "Fine, I am fine."

"I think we'd better go now, Tara. You don't look all right to me."

The smile on Callisto's face disappeared. She sounded disappointed when she said, "Oh, I kind hoped you would stay longer, Tara. Sat can drive you to Merlotte's to work, if you want."

"Thanks, Callisto. But I think not today. Sookie is right; I think I'd better go now."

On the way home, Sookie grabbed my hand tightly. "I have a bad feeling about her, Tara. Really. When I entered her head, it felt cold and wet. I heard nothing but some words that were spoken repeatedly. Like some kind of prayers. It's creepy!"

"Since when have you been so nosy like that? I thought you could control your thoughts already!"

"I do! But sometimes, if the thought is very strong, I can't help it but hear it. I didn't listen to it, I heard it! That's a big difference!" Her nose was up. She was offended to be called 'nosy'. "Whatever you do with her, Tara, just be careful, all right? Maybe I should tell Eric that I won't come with him…,"

"Nonsense," I cut her off. "You go with Eric. It's a chance to leave Bon Temps, Sookie, just enjoy it!"

I wish I could say the same thing to myself. As the night came, I had no drive whatsoever to go to work. I didn't want to meet Godric. I didn't want to lose control and embarrass myself, whether it was to attack him verbally or to throw myself into his arms, admitting my stupidity and jealousy.

Jealousy? Was that what I had felt last night? Jealous towards a woman, who had probably died? I wasn't naïve. Godric, despite his young looks, was an old man. Maybe a bit older than me, but still, he must have experiences with women. Perhaps, Candace was one of those women, who had meant a lot to him and he couldn't forget her.

Sam called me to ask if I wanted to come or not. "If you don't come, I will have to look for somebody else to replace you for tonight." I told him that I wouldn't come. My feelings were too mixed up to be able to mix any drinks. Besides, I really couldn't guarantee that I wouldn't explode easily.

"All right," he said. "You take care, Tara. I really like your work; it would be a pity if you are sick again."

"Thanks, Sam."

The door was knocked as I put down the telephone. I went to the door and opened it. Sat. He was standing with his gorgeous smile.

"Hi, Tara! Sorry to drop by without prior notice," he said.

"Oh, it's okay. Come in."

He entered.

Panicking, I looked around and was somehow thankful that my living room wasn't disastrous like normal.

"Callisto wants me to give you these herbs," he said.

"What is it?"

"She said it would help you calm down and remember what happened that night."

"It's not _herbs_ herbs, is it?"

He cringed. "No! Callisto wouldn't dare to give you anything illegal. I, on the other hand, have some snacks to share, if you want to." He grinned and showed his white teeth. "Just don't tell Callisto, otherwise she would kick the shit out of me."

So, so! He's not a good boy after all.

He gave me a small cotton bag. On it was written TT, made from golden yarn with some small flowers around it. "Tara Thornton," he said. "Callisto made it herself."

I trembled. I felt my eyes warm from the feelings that suddenly overtook me. "That's very kind of her."

"She said you should make a cup of it and I should wait for the answer, if you are willing to be my guide or not, and if it works or not."

I laughed. "Wait a minute, which one is the real message from Callisto?"

"Shit, it's obvious, isn't it?" He also laughed; his face was darkened for a while. Jeez, he looked so cute if he did that. "Please make the tea while I am still having my face."

"All right, all right. I'll make it."

Sat asked about the house, whilst we waited for the water to boil. I told him the house once belonged to my mother. She owed a lot of money to Gran Stackhouse for a settlement. The house had been given to me, with one condition, my mother could not enter the house anymore. I didn't know where she was right now, and for the sake of my life, it was better if she didn't show up.

"I never knew my mother," Sat played with the empty vase on the table. "I always ask myself why she abandoned me. Was it the crack, or was it me? I tried to find her, you know, and for the love of God, Callisto has been very helpful, but we're never successful. It seemed, my mother hadn't even given her name when she gave me away for adoption. I would try to find your mother, if I were you. There are things in this life that are replaceable, but a mother is not one of them."

"You don't know my mother," I said. Her red eyes, stinking breath, dirty clothes and uncombed hair flashed in front of my eyes. "I'm better off without her."

"You're so full of anger, Tara." He took my hands and held them tenderly. "Set your soul free, girl. It deserves to be loved, to be taken care of," his face was coming near. "Let me do that for you; I am more than willing to do it."

I felt my face get hot. "This isn't one of the steps Callisto arranges for me, is it?" I tried my best not to giggle or grin sheepishly.

"Why don't you try it and find out?" Then he kissed me, not long, and not deep, only at the right corner of my lip. However, the result was dynamite. I felt my blood run cold and hot. "I've wanted to do it since the day I saw you, Tara Thornton. And believe me when I say this, if Callisto didn't put it as one of the programs, I would convince her to add it."

The kettle whistled. Somehow I was relieved. One more second, and I was certain I would do something stupid.

"Ah, it's ready," I said, taking my hands away gently. "I'll make the tea now."

The smell of the herbs was sweet and earthy as the hot water was poured over them.

"You have to wait for the water to get red, Tara, and then you can drink it," said Sat. "You might experience dizziness or perhaps nausea, but don't get panicked, it's normal."

"Wait until it gets red…," I looked at the water in the cup slowly getting yellowish. "You want some?"

"I'd love to, but I may not. It's for you."

"How would I know that I am not being poisoned?"

Sat laughed. "Do you really think Callisto or I will poison you? We could do that, when you were at our place…damn, why didn't I think of that?"

I laughed. "Fair enough,"

Then the water turned to red. I took a sip of it. Hmm…it didn't taste bad…rather sweet…but it was okay.

Sat got up and walked towards me. "Do you like it?"

I took another sip and suddenly I felt warm and light. My heart, which had been beating like crazy since the minute Sat entered the house, slowly calmed down. I could breathe easily and when I looked at him, I didn't have that giddy feeling I'd been trying to fight.

"I think so," I said and took another sip.

"I am glad."

I looked at the tea. It turned around and around. Then I heard a sound of a horse walking around somewhere. A horse? In Bon Temps? We might be not so far from Texas, but I didn't remember seeing one. The sound of its hooves was getting closer. I turned to Sat. I wanted to ask if he heard the sound of the horse too, only to find he was standing right behind me.

"Do you hear…a horse?" I asked.

"A horse?" He took the cup out of my hand. "Oh, that's fast. Come, sit down. I'll wait with you until you feel better, then I'll leave. But no, I don't hear any horse. I'd like to see, though."

Yes, a horse…and I swore I heard it. I looked around…it was very close…but where was it?

Sat took my hand, and then everything was blurred. I heard the sound of horse's steps and felt the hot breath on my neck. Sat's face was very close to me…I felt him licking my neck…then I heard Godric's voice…speaking in a language that I didn't understand. Godric…he came…he came when I didn't come to him…my anger towards him disappeared…I heard him asking me to let him in, I heard Sat saying no…but I didn't see any face.

Everything was light and I swore I could fly…I heard loud noises … something, somebody was hitting something. Then I felt something cold grabbing my body, and I flew! Yes, I flew! I spread my arms…and then…aaaargh! Cold water splashed all over me…Jesus! It was cold! I forced open my eyes.

"What the fuck?" I screamed and tried to fight free. I was under a cold shower with Godric. "Son of a bitch! What are you doing….no!" I screamed as loud as possible as Godric started to tear my clothes apart. NO! I fought back. I kicked him, scratched his face, spat at him even tried to kick his loins, but it didn't do me any good. He continued ripping my clothes apart until there was nothing left any more. "Please, Godric…please no…" I held his shoulder and begged him to stop. "Please…" Unable to help myself, I cried. _No, this isn't happening_. I thought. _He isn't raping me…God, please…make him stop…_

"Turn around," I heard him saying. His voice was as gentle and soft as ever. "Please…"

"Don't do this, Godric…I beg you…"

"Turn around, Tara…I won't hurt you…"

I did what he said. _Please God…help me…_I felt my body trembling, both from the coldness and the fear. I could continue fighting him, but I knew it would be useless. He was much stronger than I was. I had to find a way to escape from this…and if I wasn't able to, I swore I would stake him as soon as I was able.

I felt a rough touch on my back. Heh? It wasn't his hand. It felt like a loofah. I turned around and saw him scrubbing my back. What the fuck? Was that his way to arouse a woman? Ripping off her clothes and then this?

He looked at me. His mouth formed a straight line, his eyes flashed dangerously. He was scrubbing my legs now. I didn't know much about vampires, but I knew men. From the way he looked, it was more a look of anger than lust. Why was he angry?

"Turn around," he said again.

I turned around. Now I was facing him. His broken white linen shirt was soaking wet, and so were his linen trousers; showing clearly the shape of his body and the colours of his tattoos. I knew what he had in those linen trousers, but for the moment it didn't show at all. Godric was angry, if not furious. I felt relieved. At least, the possibility he would harm me was not as big as I thought it had been.

His hands carefully and skillfully followed the shape of my body. It wasn't gently at all. It looked like he wanted to get rid of something rather than try to arouse me.

"You're wet," I said, trying to control the situation. "I can rub it myself, if you let me."

"You don't know what to rub."

"I can rub me all over. I know my body better than you do."

"Shut up," he said. "You shut up, and let me do it." He said it softly, but I didn't miss the commanding tone in it.

I closed my eyes and let him do it. I knew it was useless to fight him. He wouldn't hurt me; at least, I could be sure of it now. After awhile, his touch changed. It wasn't as rough as before and for my taste, he rubbed my breast a little bit too long. He rubbed it round and round slowly. When his hand slipped between my legs, I opened my eyes.

Under the pouring cold water, I could see his fangs were out. I touched them. They were just like any teeth. What was so dangerous about them?

"Godric..."

He threw away the loofah and kissed me. I kissed him back. The fear was still there, but not as strong as before. After several kisses, he let me go.

"I need towels," he said, opening the shower's door, "and a dry cloth."

I went out of the shower, dripping wet. I went to the drawer and took two big towels from it. When I turned around, Godric was standing some steps away from me, completely naked. His clothes were lying beside the shower. He was wet, pale and clean. There was not a single hair on his body, and very little around his cock. Jesus, he hadn't reached his adult age when a vampire turned him.

"I wasn't a virgin when my maker made me, if that's what you are thinking." He said, walking toward me. "You don't have to feel sorry for me. I was already a man and I knew how to please a woman a long time before any fangs touched my skin."

I gave him the towel. "I wasn't," I lied, "thinking about it."

"You were looking at my cock. What else were you thinking about?"

I stared at him. "Well, all right, that was what I was thinking about." I didn't want to give him the pleasure of me having other thoughts about his cock.

"Where is your bedroom?" he rubbed his hair with the towel.

"Now, Godric…"

"I don't want to fuck you, if that's what you're thinking about."

"Hey, watch your mouth!"

"You want to hear my story about when and how I was turned or not? If yes, then I want to see your bedroom first."

"What's my bedroom to do with your story?"

He threw the towel at me. "It all began from there – a bedroom. Besides, I prefer lying down and feeling a bit warm, than sitting in among the wreckage, which used to be your living room."

"What?"

"I'll fix it later. Now, show me your bedroom. Dry yourself first; I don't want to be wet again!"

"Listen you, Boy…you don't order me around in my own house!" I threw the wet towel back at him. "You're a vampire; I can take back my invitation if you continue acting like you are my master! And we'll see where your big mouth leads you."

Suddenly he grabbed me and put me on his shoulder as if I had been a piece of paper. "Shut up, and show me your bedroom!"

I was dangling on his back. From where I was, his ass looked mighty fine. It looked firm and hard. I didn't know what he had been when he was a human, but it seemed he hadn't been a computer nerd or some lazy teenager who spent his time in front of TV. Because the muscles that he had down there, it was clear that he did a lot with his body. I sighed. I loved touching that ass.

I looked around and found the red tattoo on his right shoulder. It was a circle with some kind of knots. On the middle of it was written: FUG. FUG? As fucking ugly? Godric was a handsome young man, if not a boy. Nah, it couldn't be? Besides, nobody within the right mind would tattoo themselves with 'fucking ugly'!

"What does FUG mean?" I ran my finger on the tattoo.

"Fugitivus, 'runaway'. Where is your bedroom?"

I lifted my head; we were passing the living room. Runaway? It sounded more like 'fugitive' to me. However, I didn't want to argue.

"Turn to the right." I said. "Runaway? Runaway from whom or what? And why did you make a tattoo like that?"

Godric threw me on the bed. "I didn't make the tattoo." His eyes flickered. For the first time I saw anguish on his face. His eyes were narrowing and the lights that came out from them were icy cold. "It's a stigma from my master." His voice was somber. "He branded me so that everybody knew that I had tried to run away from his household."

"What?" I didn't believe him. "You're talking as if you were a slave!"

"I was until the end of my life as human."

My jaw dropped. "There are no white slaves!"

"Maybe not here and not now, but when I was a human, there were slaves from different colour of skins and speaking in different kinds of languages." A smile softened his face. "If you can lend me your cloth, I will tell you a story about my last master and my last life as human."

xxxxx


	7. The New Path

**Author's Note: **Aeron, also spelled Aerten or Aerfen is a goddess of fate in Celtic Religion, (Cornish, Anglo-Celtic, Welsh) who presided over the outcome of war among several Celtic clans . The legend says that three human sacrifices had to be made every three years to ensure success in future battles.

I don't know what Godric (TB series) was or supposed to be (his tattoos are bit confusing for me), so I decided that he was an Insular Celt (The Celts that lived on the Great Britain and Ireland) – a Cornovii. The Cornovii was believed to be located on South Western peninsula of Great Britain. Nowadays, the area where they lived is known as Cornwall. I wanted to make him as a Pict, but the information about the Picts is very little, therefore I changed my mind. If there is any wrong detail about the Cornovii that I wrote, I'll be very grateful with the correction and my apology to any Cornish who reads this story. I am still learning.

* * *

Chapter Seven

**The New Path**

"How did you come inside? I didn't invite you in."

I sat on the edge of the bed. Godric was lying down on my bed, making himself as comfortable as possible, wearing one of my t-shirts and boxers. I didn't remember to whom the boxers belonged; it must have belonged to one of my boyfriends. His eyebrows were twisted when he saw the pictures of skulls on the boxers and he looked at me with a face which was saying 'really, Tara?', but he didn't say anything. Yeah, I asked about my taste in men too, sometimes.

"Yes, you did. You might not have realized that you were doing it, but you did."

"How did I not remember? I remember having Sat here, drinking a cup of tea, and then…" some blurred pictures of Sat and I dancing flashed in front of my eyes. I remembered hearing the sound of a horse.

"Did you see a horse around my house?" I decided to ask him. "Swear to God, I heard a horse walking around."

"You are remembering."

"That's what Sat said too. The herbs will make me remember what happened that night. What happened to Sat? Where is he?"

"I threw him out." Godric put his head on the pillow. His eyes stared at the ceiling. "He was all over you."

"What? No fucking way!"

"Yes, he was."

"You're lying and you're jealous!"

Within a blink of an eye, Godric was on top of me. I didn't even see how he had grabbed me and put me down on the bed; he just did. But I wasn't afraid anymore. He was jealous, yes, he was. He wouldn't hurt me; otherwise he would've done it already. If he could throw out Sat, who was bigger and looked stronger than he was, he could easily handle me. I touched his face. His pale grey eyes blazed like fire. His fangs were out and the expression on his face was clear of fury. A wrong word, a wrong move, those fangs would be buried into my neck. Strangely, I felt warm. At least, it's clear now what I was dealing with. He might be a vampire with strong powers, but I was a woman. I knew how to handle a man. And a man like Godric, who was not yet well developed mentally, must have weak spots.

It seemed, my touch was his weakness. Because as soon as my hands were on his jaw and my thumbs touched his lips, he kissed them. Gently, I took away my hands, and replaced my thumbs with my lips. At first, he refused my kiss. He lifted his face, but I was faster. I cupped his head with my both hands and caressed his lips.

"No…don't…" he said. "Tara…"

He closed his lips, but only for a while. As my tongue managed to open them, he surrendered and answered my kisses. We rolled ourselves on the bed, looking for a comfortable position. I helped him open the t-shirt and he removed the bath robe that I wore. As he was on the top of me again, he was already naked.

"I have to scrub your body and force you to spit out all the herbs that you drank…."

"Ssst," I put my finger on his lips. "Later, tell me later, Godric. Now, I don't want to hear anything else, but our voices…making love."

"Making love…" his voice was trailing. "That's how my vampire life started. By Aeron*, it should be how it ends too."

"Didn't Aeron tell you to shut up when you were with your woman?" I didn't know why I could say that, I just said it.

Godric got off me. "Put your robe on, Tara. You're not yourself."

"What…?" I caught his hand. I felt fine, light, but fine. His hand was soft, cold but soft, as his entire body. Jeez, I wanted him. I had never slept with a vampire before, and I wanted to know how it felt. I felt my body tingling. "Don't tell me you don't want me, Godric…" I heard myself seducing him. Strange, I swore, I sounded like Callisto. Had I been too close to her that I decided to imitate the way she spoke?

"I do, but not now." He pulled off his hand. "If you think you can get me now, you make a big mistake, woman!"

Now, he called me a woman! That's an improvement…I laughed. Mostly, my boyfriends called me 'woman' when they thought I was annoying them. Was I annoying Godric now?

"Tara, look at me!"

"Uh-uh," but I looked at him. His eyes were icy…I touched his face, it made him sexier. "Come, Godric. Love me…" again, I heard Callisto speaking through my mouth. Why the fuck did I say all those words? It made me sound like a slut! And why did I continue sound like her…aaargh….my head…

"Tara, listen to me. Remember what happened that night, in the car, on the road…"

"My head…."

I grabbed it. Everything was blurring. I saw Godric's big eyes…and suddenly I felt like I was brought back to Sam's car in that night, driving…there was a shadow in the rare mirror…and a horse…no, a man…riding a horse…walking on the street…no…a horse-man…and no…he wasn't walking…running…chasing…a woman…oh no, he jumped on her…God…help that woman..I wanted to scream, but something choked my throat…oh, my head… oh, I felt tired, so tired. I wanted to sleep.

"Ssst.." I heard Godric's voice, softly filled my ears. "Easy, Tara. Everything is going to be all right. You have to trust me…"

I felt tired, but yes, I trusted him. "I trust you, Godric." Then, everything went black.

Xxxxx

The first thing that I saw was white – dead white chest; the coldness around me made me look up. A pair of big pale grey eyes welcomed me tenderly. Apparently, I had fallen asleep in his arms.

"How long did I sleep?" I smiled.

He smiled back. "One or two hours."

"You should've woke me up," I rubbed my eyes and got up. I remembered being scrubbed under the shower, then being plunged over his shoulder and my face was hot when I remembered that I had seduced him on this bed…I looked at him. Jesus! He was still naked and when I looked at myself, I saw that I was naked too. "Did we…did you…?"

"No," he lay on his side and supported his head with his hand. "We didn't," he reached out his free hand. "But we will…"

"Forget it," I said. After what I had done to him, I didn't think that I would be able to do it without feeling ashamed.

"Don't be silly," he said. "I don't mean now. Come here, lie down beside me."

I looked at him. He looked calm and somehow different. He didn't look like a teenager any more, at least not in my eyes. He had such a strong self-control that made me doubt his age. He might have a teenager's body, but something told me, he was old, much older than I thought. If he was able to hide himself from Eric, who was around 1000 years old….my blood turned cold. Then, how old was he, really?

Slowly I understood why Eric hadn't laughed or snorted when I said that Godric and I would come after him if he hurt Sookie. Not only had Eric taken Godric seriously…he was also afraid of Godric!

"We won't do it – making love, that's how you called it, if you don't want it, Tara. I promise." A smile was on his face. "Unless I can make you change your mind."

'Making love' that would be a word that Sookie used, but not me. Fucking, shagging, boinking that would be my choices of words. The 'making love' I thought or dreamed about had died, thanks to the lousiest first-night ever in the history of humanity, done by me and Reggie, when I had been fourteen. It was fast and very painful. I had been dry like two day old tortillas, and Reggie had humped me like a rabbit.

I lay down beside him. Strange, I felt comfortable in my own nakedness. I didn't remember when the last time I had been naked beside a man was. And surely, it was after sex.

"What happened to me, Godric? Why did I hear and see horses? What does it mean?"

"It's a process of remembering, Tara. You've been under a great shock and now your body has started remembering."

"Please, Godric. You were there. Please, tell me if you saw something strange on that road that night?"

"I wasn't there, Tara. I had been somewhere else when I heard the car hitting the bridge. What did you see, my child?"

In other time and place, I would smack him for calling me 'my child'. He had groped me, sucked my nipples and shoved his tongue down my throat; it would sound absolutely weird if he continued calling me like that. However, now, it sounded soothing.

"Promise not to call me crazy?"

"Yes."

"I…" I closed my eyes. "I saw a horse, a man…I don't know, a horse-man, chasing a woman and …" I felt my body shaking. "…he…he…raped her…I…I…" I felt my cheek hot. "There was somebody with me in the car…but I didn't remember whom…I swore, I saw a shadow in the mirror…Godric…what did I see?"

Godric held me. My body shook harder.

"I am here, Tara. You're not alone now…" a soft kiss landed on my forehead. "I wish I could tell you what I knew – an old and forgotten knowledge from my time, but you're a child of a new time. Even if your head is able to accept it, your mind will refuse it. It'll be better if your mind finds its way to reach that night and you'll find the truth in your own way."

I buried myself in his cold arms. A month ago, I would have yelled at the first person who told me that I would talk to a vampire. Now, I was not only talking to him, I held him closely, desperately sought warmth in his presence. I kissed his chest. It's crazy to hope I would somehow hear a heartbeat, no matter how low it would be, but I still did it. I touched the tattoo on it. It looked like some kind of necklace. I cursed myself for not spending more time reading books about history or other cultures. I cursed myself for believing that knowing a lot about Bon Temps and Louisiana would be enough. It could've been, I supposed, if the vampires hadn't come out, or I'd decided to stay in Bon Temps. Now, I was with somebody who was probably from Europe and lived already forever and I had no idea what he was.

Yes, he had white skin, grey eyes and was brunette, like many other white people. Probably he came from Europe or even from America. But which nation? And Europe…how many countries were in Europe? And which country in Europe where its people wore such tattoos?

God, I felt so fucking stupid.

Godric pulled me up so that we faced each other. His hand was on my hip, slowly following the shape of my body.

"By Aeron…" he murmured. Then, he kissed me. His hand touched my breast, squeezed it gently. "I like your breasts," he whispered.

I smiled. At least he said it.

"They are small." I replied.

I remembered Sookie's. Every man would turn their head around when Sookie walked by. Hers were big, round and firm. Mine looked like a pair of peas compared to hers. They were small, if I put my hands on them, my hands would form flat hills.

"I don't care. They are yours and they are beautiful."

"Not only my breasts, I hope…,"

"No, not only…" he took both my hands and pinned me down on the bed. He kissed me again, strong and deep. "Not only, Tara…" his legs separated mine. He didn't have to do it, because I was more than willing to welcome him. "You are poisoning me…" he whispered. His voice was deep and growling. "It's been too long and you are poisoning my mind."

I didn't know what he's talking about. But if that's the way he admitted his feelings to me – his love…I chuckled. Love…did vampires know love? What kind of love that he had – if he had, for a woman whom he had just known ten days ago?

But Godric didn't allow me to think. Without letting my hands go, he continued kissing me. With one hand held my hand, he lifted my legs with the other. I moved to find a more comfortable position and after several tries convinced him to let my hands go, and finally both my hands were free. I touched his hair and smiled. His young and confused look returned again. Those pale eyes were bright with lust and the smile on his pink lips made him look like a little boy who was excited in front of his Christmas present, impatiently waiting to unwrap it. But I was already unwrapped, lying naked under him, holding him gently.

I touched his tattoo on the spine. "Was it painful, when they made this tattoo?"

"No…" he kissed my neck. "I didn't remember. The Druids had given me something to drink before he started and I didn't remember."

"Druids?"

"Our highest priests," he went down to my shoulder. "I was meant to meet Aeron…I and the other two…whose names I don't remember any more."

"Aeron? Who was Aeron?"

"Our Goddess…" his lips were on my nipple, whilst his hand was on the other one. He murmured something about sacrifices.

I gasped. His hand was damn cold and his lips were hot, sending me hot and cold at the same time. "Sa…sacrifices…?"

"We…were meant to be sacrificed to Aeron so that She would give Her mercy on us and let us win in the next battle."

"What?" I lifted my body, but Godric put his hand on my face and gently pushed me down. "You were…what kind of Goddess needs human sacrifices?"

"She's the one who has power over our fates…" both his hands were now on my breasts and he went down with his mouth, caressing my stomach. His fangs nipped me here and there and as I lifted my head, I saw him licking the blood that flowed out of it.

"Your blood, Tara, is poisoning me…" he lifted his head. "I can't stop wanting it, even if I try. Forgive me, Darling…"

"Oh, shut up!" I pushed his head down. Yeah, shut up! He had called me 'Darling'…all other things…oh, just shut up!

I swore, I felt Godric's hands and lips everywhere. He asked me to lie on my stomach and held my hands as I did it. I felt his lips on my neck, and like a needle, his fangs stitched it then he sucked it. I moaned as he did it. He hadn't bit me, he 'scratched' me. Like a wine taster, it seemed he wanted to taste my blood before he decided to feed on me. He had already had my blood, but I swear to God, he was really marvelous with his self-control. Sookie told me once that Bill had bitten her and sucked her blood every time they had sex…yeah, we didn't have secrets in front of each other…

"Stop thinking, Tara!" Godric hissed. "Let yourself go and be my lover tonight!"

"What…?"

"Surrender. Give yourself to me completely. Be mine."

I grabbed his head. His fangs touched my shoulder a bit too deep. Aargh, it's painful, but I said, "Stop ordering me around! Just make me!"

Some blood dropped from his fangs as he lifted his head and said, "You asked for it, Woman."

Yes, I had asked for it. I had asked for it since last night. I had been ready for a vampire. What could be possibly worse than Reginald LeBlanc's way of humping? If there was one, I'd hump the next tree I saw instead!

Godric kissed my back, his claws buried deep inside my bottom. I screamed. It was painful, but strangely, my lust was getting stronger. Then, he turned me over. His eyes were wild and the blood – my blood, that dropped from his fangs made him look like a starving animal. _Yes, Godric! Give me all you've got! Give me your best shot!_

He took my both hands and pinned them down on the bed again. Then, he kissed me. I thought he would've fallen on me with all his weight. Instead, his hands followed the shape of my arms softly as if he hadn't wanted to miss any freckle or any spot I had. His tongue searched mine, as his hands played with my hair. There was no hurry, sometimes he sucked my tongue strongly, sometimes he waited until it came out of my mouth; begging him to do it again. He would look me in the eye, before he licked my lips and sucked my tongue again.

I felt my body rising as Godric went down. I gasped and moaned as his hands caressed my breast whilst he kissed my inner thighs. I heard myself calling his name louder and louder, grabbing the sheet as I couldn't hold myself still. My legs held his head and I threw myself on the pillow. My blood ran faster and faster. I felt my head spinning and everything was blurring. Then I felt myself coming so strong and fast like I had never before. My heart beat so loud that I swore it would explode at any time.

"Tara…"

I heard Godric call me. I opened my eyes. He lifted one of my legs and I jerked as he entered my body. His cock wasn't cold. As a matter of fact, it was warm. When he saw me watching his cock, he bit the leg, which he was holding. I screamed. It was as painful as it was arousing. He smiled at me and kissed the part which he had bitten, at the same time, he moved his body forward and backward, slowly and hard. I gasped and moaned in the same rhythm. As he moved faster and faster, my body felt lighter and lighter. I heard nothing but the sound of my own voice. Then, like a dam breaking, I felt him exploding inside of me. I could only spread my arms and welcome every seed he poured into my body.

Thank God, vampires existed.

xxxxx

The smoke at the end of my cigarette stood still. They said the cigarette after sex was the best cigarette ever, but I was sure, no after sex cigarette would beat my after sex cigarette, as I leaned on Godric and enjoyed every inch of it. We were sitting on the bed, still naked and lingering on our own thoughts. I sat between his legs, felt the coldness of his body slowly creeping on my back and let him play with my hair.

Godric hadn't said a word after the last sex we had. Yeah, I sighed. The last sex, since Godric seemed to have a store of energy which he used right after we had done it. I wasn't sure if we had it three times or four times in a row. And every time we did it, he managed to make me orgasm. God! Like any other youngsters, he could go on and on. I bet he would still be doing it, if I had let him. I had been the one who said that I needed a break. My legs were numb and my vagina was sore. I had to have a break; otherwise, I wouldn't be able to get up tomorrow.

"You smell good," his soft voice broke the silence.

"I don't smell like the woods anymore?"

"Yes, you still smell like the woods, but you have another smell too. I like your other smell. It reminds me of the river."

I smelled like a river? Was that bad or good? I turned to him. His eyes were soft and tender.

"I can hear the wildness of its water flowing inside your body, and the fresh fragrance of the moss plants that live on its bank is carried out on your skin."

He ran his index finger on my arms. In the mirror, our black and white image reflection looked like an advertisement picture of a fashion company. I kinda liked it. I kissed his neck.

"You're romantic. I bet you were a poet when you were a human."

"I was a warrior."

"A warrior? Just like Eric. You know Eric, don't you? He's a kinda vampire sheriff. He lives here, in Shreveport."

"Yes, I know Eric." He kissed my nose.

"He's looking for you, by the way."

He didn't say anything.

"You're not in some kind of troubles, are you?" I continued. "I mean he's a sheriff. Nobody is innocent when a sheriff is looking for them. Vampires or no vampires."

"Forget Eric," he said. "He's a big boy, he will find me if he really wants me."

I chuckled. That was a very strange statement. I mean, 'he's a big boy'? What was he, anyway? His father or something? Eric was much taller than he was, much older too. If they ever faced each other, I knew who would run. But I didn't say anything. I had learned that my mouth would lead me into a lot of problems, if I let it open too wide. To be honest, I didn't want to have any problems with Godric. I didn't know much about him, but what I did know; I liked. I touched his square jaws.

"Yeah, he's a big boy."

Godric kissed my hand palm and held me tighter. I felt something poking my waist. Hmm, he's ready again, but I'm not.

"Godric," I tried to distract him. "How long have you had all those tattoos?"

"I believe I was thirteen as I got this tattoo." He pointed at the zig-zag tattoo on his right arm. "Water. As a prayer the clan and I would find a place near water to build. Then the one across my chest is 'doire', oak tree. The Druids believed painting the symbol of the oak tree would give me strength, nobility, wisdom. When I was fourteen, they painted the tattoo on my spine. It is a symbol of fire."

"You used a lot of symbols."

"Yes, we did."

"And all those letters?"

"I got them when I was captured by a group of some men from across the sea, which were called the Norsemen. Our village was preparing the sacrifice when they entered. They killed the Druids, other warriors – including my father and took the three of us. The women…" Godric stopped. His eyes were blurred with memories. "The women…they didn't give any mercy to the women."

I was afraid to know what he meant; therefore I didn't question him about it.

"In the end, I was accepted as one of their own, and received all these letter tattoos."

"And the FUG one?"

"I told you, I was branded. I was captured again as the Romans attacked the Norsemen's village. I was sold as a slave. My owner was changing, as none of them was able to handle me. They could've had me kill, but they didn't. Back then I believed, Aeron had protected me. I was, after all, her chosen warrior. She had wanted me for herself. She wouldn't let me be killed by a lesser being."

I smiled. Yeah, I believed that. After how he had performed in bed, I believed any goddess up there in the sky would love to have him!

"Then, I was given as a prize to a queen. He and the queen had played a game. The one who lost would give the other the most expensive thing they had. I was one of his most valuable slaves, because with my skill, he could've sold me as a gladiator…"

"Gladiator?" The image of a famous actor wearing a leather skirt, fighting in an arena flashed in front of my eyes. Gladiator….hmm…Godric in a leather skirt…yummy!

"Yes, a gladiator. I was still young, but it didn't matter."

"And the queen, what did she have to give, when she lost?"

"She didn't say, but I heard, had she lost, she would've had to give away a part of her land."

"Wow, that's a crazy game."

"It was and I was glad she had won." His voice sounded bitter. Should've he been happy, or did he regret that he wasn't able to become a gladiator?

"It was late in the afternoon and the air was hotter than the usual as my life began to take another path, a path that led me to a new life, where gods and goddess of old became pale and meaningless."

xxxxx


	8. Memory of Another Day

**Author's Note: **The Greeks called the Celts "Keltoi". (The Brave one/the Noble one/Hero/The Free Landowner/man)

Chapter Eight

**Memory of Another Day  
**

"Here is the prize, my Queen! A Norseman whom you wish to have!"

Godric was thrown on the floor, landing in front of a pair of feet, wrapped in golden sandals. The feet were long and narrow with red colour on the nails. A woman. He was thrown in front of a woman. Her skin was as dark as the skin of Athenian fruit and also as bright. My queen – that's how the people of this strange land called her, a new way of calling a woman.

He had been taken from one land to another, since he was captured as a slave by the men of the North, who were called the Norsemen by many others. He wasn't a Norseman. He was a Cornivii, captured, then accepted and trained as a Norseman. For some months, he had been owned by Legatus Maximus, living in a huge mansion, treated like one of Legatus' soldiers. As Legatus Maximus had been sent to this hot dessert land, he was one among Legatus' possessions that the Senator took.

The foot with the golden sandal touched his chin and raised his face. He could grab that foot and pull her to the floor, but something told him, this woman was not any woman. There were many soldiers in the room; she must be somebody important.

His eyes met hers. His mouth fell open as he saw a pair of brown eyes staring at him. He had seen a pair of eyes like that, owned by a wild cat, back in his village. That wild cat was the only animal he hadn't been able to catch because she had scratched his hands and face and defeated him. He smiled. If this woman was a cat, he would have done anything he could to defeat her, to break her and made her his pet.

"How dare you!"

A loud voice and the sound of a whip made him turn to the source. Before the whip touched his skin, he caught it and pulled it. The person on the other end of the whip fell beside him. He was a big man, wearing only a piece of linen wrapped around his hips.

"He's wild, my Queen. But from what I heard, you enjoy challenges. He's all yours, Your Majesty!"

Then Legatus Maximus walked away. As his tall figure reached the door, Godric heard him laughing. He seemed to enjoy himself.

"Raise, Wild man!" she said. Her voice was soft and stern. "I want to see you."

Godric stood up. He didn't look around, but focused on the man with the whip.

"Give him a weapon."

"Your Majesty…" there was surprise in the voice.

"Give him a weapon."

Somebody threw a stick at his feet. Godric didn't pick it up. He knew, if he picked up, the Queen would order her soldiers to attack him.

"Pick it up, Wild man, and show me your worth."

"I have worth," Godric bowed to pick up the stick, with eyes fixed on the man. "But I want your word that you won't kill me."

"Kill you? Why would I kill you?"

He didn't answer. The slave owners did what they pleased with their slaves. A wrong word, a wrong gesture, or a normal day could be the end of a slave's life, as the master wished it.

"They say you are worth of ten Roman soldiers, Wild man. I want to know if it's true."

He looked at her. By Aeron, her eyes were like flame of fire! He wondered what her hair looked like under that white linen and the golden diadem.

She raised her hand. A woman came to her with a tablet in her hands. She took off her diadem and put it on the tablet.

"Leave," she said.

The man with the whip, who was now standing, nodded. Godric looked around and watched him and the other men in the room leaving. Now, there were only the Queen, two women and he, himself.

"I will offer you a challenge, Wild man. You prove your skill to me, and I will grant you your freedom."

He looked at her.

"My freedom?" that word choked his throat.

"Yes, your freedom. You can go wherever you want, whenever you want. I will even give you a piece of land that you can start your own clan."

His heart beat irregularly. "What shall I do?"

"Fight against me. Three times. I decide when and where. If you defeat me, you're free to go. If I defeat you, you stay as my slave, and do as you're told. You will be loyal to me, obey me and give your life to me whenever and wherever I want."

"Are you true to your words?"

"I am a queen; my words are the law of this land."

"Then I agree."

She raised her hand again. One of the women came with a stick in her hand.

"The maids will be the witnesses. They will set the watch, to mark the beginning and the end of our fight. It will be a fair fight, Wild man." She got off from her throne. "I must warn you, I am a warrior. Don't let my being a woman fool you."

He had met several warrior-women and he had learned, none of them should be taken lightly.

"I am ready whenever you are."

"Marvelous."

She walked toward him. Godric followed her with his eyes. She walked like a dancer. Light and swift. A sweet soft smell reached his nose as she stood some steps away from him. She walked around him.

"You painted your skin," she said, touching the fire tattoo on his spine. Her hand was soft. "The styles are not similar. Are you coming from different peoples, or have you been owned by many?"

"I am coming from different peoples."

"Romans…"

She touched the red tattoo on his right shoulder. He pulled his body away. He despised that tattoo. That tattoo didn't belong there or anywhere on his body. It's a symbol of his slavery, his captivity and the long tortures by his Roman masters. He got that tattoo a long time ago, but the sound of the burning iron on his flesh was still fresh, as if it had been done yesterday.

"I see," she withdrew her touch. "Have some rest, Wild man. We will fight fairly. You will eat and freshen your body, then you will come to me and prove your worth. We won't fight till death; it's enough if one of us falls onto the ground oftener than the other. I will use this stick; it is the same size and made of the same tree as yours so that you can't say that I don't fight fairly."

Godric nodded. "If I win, I will be free and can go wherever I want?" He wanted to be sure.

"Yes, Wild man."

Her hand was on his shoulder. Her sweet smell was getting stronger and stronger capturing his nose, made him unable to breathe. His heart beat faster and he felt his limb grow harder.

"You will be free to go wherever you want and to do whatever you please. I will even give you gold so that you can start your life as a free man. Otherwise, you belong to me. And I demand no less than all you have."

He looked at her. By Aeron, she had beautiful eyes! "Then I will give you everything I have."

"Then it shall be done!"

On the next day, after he had slept and fed, he was summoned by the Queen. She was waiting for him in a garden. Very strange indeed, were the people in this land or in the Roman cities. They built a place, they called 'garden'. It was an open room, without roof above it. They planted trees without fruits, sometimes a small lake was made in it too. Here and there, they would put a place to sit or they would raise small houses, where they could sit or sleep. Why would they do that, Godric never understood it.

Outside, in the forests, they cut the wood and hunted animals for pleasure. Inside their houses, they planted trees and kept animals so that they could admire them. Animals which live in cages are like slaves. As much as they are admired, taken care or fed, there is only one wish that they yearn: freedom. No one is happy if their feet are tied to the ground, it doesn't matter how well they are treated.

She wasn't wearing her diadem now. She didn't even wear the white linen thing on her head. Her hair was black and curly, shiny as her skin and smelled good as well. She must have rubbed some flowers on it, or was there something in her that made such a smell?

There was nobody else in the garden, except the two of them and the two women from yesterday. Apparently, she had ordered her guards to go. Godric admired her bravery. He could kill her and run away. She and her women wouldn't be able to stop him and he would be free. But he didn't want that kind of freedom. He wanted a freedom that was real, that was given by the queen herself, so that he could be free and remove that cursed Roman tattoo. He didn't want to be chased anymore.

The Queen won the first fight. She moved fast and fiercely. Godric couldn't count any more how many times her stick had hit his legs, chest and shoulder. Her feet, which had been bared, had kicked his head many times too. It was still ringing when he went to bed. He had kissed the grass so often that eventually he smelled like camels. Her soft hands were like paws of a cat. They had scratched, hit and smacked his face.

"Never underestimate your enemy, Young Keltoi," A Greek who had been sent to tend him said. "It doesn't matter if they are male or female. Respect and treat them the way you want yourself to be treated."

"She's the daughter of Rudianos!" Godric yelled as the Greek put something green on his arm. His arms were black and blue from the hitting. It was very painful to move them and now the Greek touched it roughly.

Rudianos was the God his people prayed to before they went to the battle.

"No, Young Godfrey. She is just a woman. Observe carefully how she moves, she must have weaknesses somewhere in her. Take advantage of it."

"Why are you telling me all of these, Greek?"

"I've been living as a slave for a long time, Young Keltoi. I wanted to be free as much as you want it right now, but I've never been able to do it. Now, I am old. All I can do is trying to help the young ones such yourself to be free."

"You know a lot, Wise one."

The Greek smiled. "Not as much as I want."

Something came to his mind. If he was free, he had to be able to do what the Romans and the Greeks do, painting their words on a papyrus or leather, so that when they asked him, he could answer in the same manner. "Can you teach me, once I am free?"

"What do you want to know, Young Keltoi?"

"I want to be able to paint my words, the way you Greeks and Romans do."

The Greek smiled again. "I'll be here, Godfrey. I will teach you any knowledge you wish to know so that no man will be able to trick you again."

He looked at the Greek. He touched the tattoo of 'doire' that was painted across his chest. "By the name of the sacred Oak Tree, where Robor, the God and the protector of trees dwells, you will be my Druid and I shall obey you."

The Greek's face softened. "You Keltoi and your love for trees. I wish you a long life and a prosperous one."

As the Greek had told him, Godric paid more attention to her body movement in their second fight. He also didn't hesitate any more to hit her, even when every time he touched her skin, his heart jumped irregularly. He found out that her legs were her weakness. They didn't stand firmly on the ground. If he could hit her legs as she moved around, he would be able to make her fall without hurting her too much. Strangely, he didn't want her to feel the pain as he had.

He didn't want touch her face, because he didn't want to see those beautiful eyes got injured. He also didn't want her not to be able to smile or to laugh during the fight. Perhaps, perhaps on the third fight, when it would be over. He would give her something she would never forget. A real hit on her face so that she would carry the wound for days!

She laughed as the maids told them that this time, he won. "You live up to your reputation, Wild man."

She was on the ground, lying helplessly. There was a sudden urge to take her into his arms and touch her the way he had wanted to touch the wild cat. He wanted to strike her back, the way he would strike the cat. However, he was too late. The maids came toward her and helped her getting up.

She moved away, still laughing. "I will win the third fight, and you will be mine, Wild man!"

He watched her with a miserable feeling. He wanted to win the third fight above everything else, but he also knew, he wouldn't be able to be with her any more.

The Greek came again to his room. He didn't have to, but he wanted to. "Remember, Young Godfrey. The last fight is your chance. Don't let anything else distract you."

"Nothing will distract me, Old man."

"By Zeus and His mighty daughter, the golden haired Athena, I wish you all the blessing of the Gods!"

Three days after the second fight, he was summoned again. It seemed the Queen had needed more time to recover than he had. She wore a white garment which didn't cover her arms, and a shorter white linen skirt. On her chest was blue and yellow pectoral, a kind of big round necklace across the chest. Her bared arms were red and blue. Not being able to hold himself, he touched it.

"Did I do that?"

Suddenly, he felt guilty. He knew, in the battle, there would always be wounds and bruises, but still, he couldn't help it. The bruises on her arms looked horrible. The maids giggled, but Godric didn't care.

"Yes, you did that."

She put her hand on his. A warm feeling crept away from that touch.

"I am glad that you did it because it means that you are serious about your wish to be free."

He stepped away. Nothing may distract him. It could be that it was her way to win the fight.

"It's all that I want."

"Good, let's start, then." She moved away too. "It's a pleasure to have such a rival as you, Wild man.'

Godric nodded. "The feeling is mutual, my Queen," he said.

She laughed. "I am your Queen indeed!"

She raised her stick and leapt on him. The fight was faster than the previous ones. She moved like a whirlwind, hitting him everywhere, and harder. The pain from the first fight which wasn't really gone yet, came again. He had to grab the grass, to prevent him from screaming. She fought to win. She wouldn't give him the freedom. Like any other master, she played for keeps.

The sun was down on the west, as she screamed. He had hit her hard on the face that threw her some steps backward. The two maids ran to her.

"Your Majesty!" they screamed.

Godric stood there, unable to say anything. What had he done? The Queen was on the ground, covering her left eye. Had he hurt her beautiful eye? Suddenly, he felt miserable. Yes, he wanted to be free, but he didn't want to cause her any pain, at least not as much as she was having right now.

"I am fine!" she said, but everybody could hear the agony in her voice. "Amani, who wins this time?"

"He does, Your Majesty."

Freedom, at last!

"How very unfortunate of me," she said. "You would become my most worthy slave, if I won. I'll summon you and fulfill our agreement, Wild man. Until then, have some rest and don't leave the palace."

Godric nodded. "Thank you, my Queen."

"Thank yourself, you fool, or you might curse yourself. Indeed you gain your freedom, and yet, you lost the highest blessing any man in this land wishes for. To be my slave!" then she left with her head held high.

xxxxx

It was late in the afternoon as Amani, the Queen's maid came to his room, six days after the last time he had seen the Queen. Godric had been waiting for the Queen's summons and he was getting more and more impatient day by day. He even had come to believe that the Queen was like other masters, she would do whatever she wanted, even when it meant that she would break her own promise. The Greek, who was teaching him how to paint his words in Roman fashion, tried to convince him again and again, that the Queen of Meröe was a well known woman for her words. She wouldn't withdraw what she had spoken.

He refused to wear the clothes that Amani brought with her. The clothes had been made especially for him and it was made in Meröe fashion; a sleeveless white tunic and white skirt. He didn't want them. When he left the palace as a freeman, he wanted to be in his own clothes: leather trousers.

This time, Amani didn't take him to the garden, but to a room, a big room, filled with painted pottery and birds' feathers. They were blue and green, and on each feather there was a red eye on it. The birds, which carried those feathers, must have been beautiful birds!

The Queen was standing at the door, barefoot, and wearing a long white skirt. Like the last time he had seen her, she was wearing a sleeveless white tunic and blue-yellow pectoral. Her black and curly hair was visible. His stomach clenched as he saw a black and blue ring around her left eye. She wasn't completely cured from his hits.

"Follow me," she said. "I want you to see something, before you decide to leave my palace."

"You will give me my freedom, today?" He wanted to be sure.

"Yes, Wild man, if that's what you wish." She gave a sign to Amani to leave the room.

"I don't need to see your gold," he said. "I'll take whatever you give me."

"Who said anything about gold? Come with me." She walked away. "I'll give you the gold too, don't you worry, Wild man."

He followed her. He wasn't worried. He only wanted to be sure. He wanted to leave the palace as soon as possible. He didn't want to stay here too long, knowing that he wouldn't be able to see her any more, the moment his feet touched the road in front of the palace, or perhaps even the moment he left this room.

He didn't know why, but he felt his stomach heavy.

She took him to another room, a bigger one than the one before. There were a big door and two smaller ones on the other side. Through the glass that decorated the doors he could see a garden. He walked towards the doors. Could it be that it was the same garden in which they had had their fights?

He turned around to find the Queen standing right behind him. They were so close to each other now that if she had had a knife in her hand, she would've been able to stab him without him being able to defend himself. However, it seemed the Queen was a worthy enemy, somebody who kept her words and respected agreements.

"What do you want me to see?" he asked.

The Queen reached out her hand and touched his face. Reflexively he pulled his face away.

"Don't be afraid. I won't hurt you," she smiled.

Doubtfully, he let her touch his face. Only some days ago, that hand hit his ribs, shoulder and face. His ears were still ringing at night from all the blows he had received. He didn't want to feel that pain again.

The Queen moved closer. He could feel the heat coming from her body, which strangely he liked. The smell that had bothered him since their first met, now captured his senses, so strongly that almost made him unable to think.

"What do you want me to see?" again, he asked. This time, he wasn't eager to know any more.

"This," she put her hands around his neck. He wanted to ask 'what do you mean' when she pulled his head gently to her. Before he knew what to do, her lips were on his. As if she had wanted to taste his lips, she took them with her lips and sucked them.

He had never done that before. He didn't know what it was called. Whether it was a kind of movement to defend herself and at the same time attack the enemy, or it was a kind of spell that sucked the souls of the enemies, he didn't care to think. As a matter of fact, he couldn't think. He felt his heart beating faster and faster, making his blood rush to his head. His eyes were blurring and his hands were shaking. The stick that he held tightly felt heavy and finally fell to the floor. For a moment, he heard its sound filling the room, but then it disappeared as soon as his own hand grabbed her neck and his lips did the same thing as hers.

When she let herself go, she was out of breath. Her eyes shone brightly and there was a wide smile on her face. "Do you like it?"

Godric touched her lips with his finger. "Yes," he said. He was surprised to hear himself growling. "What was it, the thing we just did?"

"Kissing," she took his finger inside her mouth and sucked it. "I learned it from a Roman," she said as she let the finger go.

A Roman…he stepped backward. The name always gave him a chill. He knew that the flesh on his back had been dried a long time ago, but the memory of the hot iron burning his flesh was refreshed every time somebody mentioned the name.

"They must have done many bad things to you, but not everything that they did or created has been bad or evil. I heard that you are learning to read and write from Agapetos."

Agapetos was the name of the Greek, which he had never spoken. "I do."

"You see, not all of the things that they do are evil. Come, I'll show you the thing I want you to see."

She took him near to the bed. He looked around. There was nothing on the bed that astonished him, except its size. The bed was big enough for four or five persons to sleep beside each other. Who slept on a bed this big and how many of them?

"It's my bed," said the Queen as he asked. "I sleep alone."

"Alone? On a big bed like this?"

She looked at him with a look that almost pitied him. It seemed she had seen something in him that he wasn't aware of….what had she seen? Her eyes were tender when she said, "Sometimes I sleep with the people who please me, when I'm pleased." Her finger ran on his arm. "Still, I am a queen, I do whatever I please."

"I hope you don't change your mind about giving me my freedom just because you are not pleased."

Her finger lingered for a while on his water tattoo, and then she touched the tattoos on his chest. "You don't have to worry, Wild man…"

"Godric. My name is Godric…" the Norsemen called him 'Gottfried'; the Greek and the Romans called him 'Godfrey', but he had been called 'Godric' by his people and he wanted to use that name as he became a free man.

"Godric…,"

Her face was again close to his, whilst her fingers were now on his stomach. He felt his heart beat faster and head started spinning. He couldn't think about anything else, but to kiss her. His freedom, the thing which he desperately wanted, seemed so strange now. He realized that if she set him free, he wouldn't be able to stand so close to her like this or to kiss her.

"So I heard," her breath touched his face. "The Wildman of the Northern Land…the one who defeats the Queen of Meröe…wishes to be called Godric. His wish is her command," then she kissed him.

This time, he knew what to do. He answered her kisses the way she kissed him, if not more strongly. He wrapped her tongue and sucked it, as she had done it to him, touched her body as she touched his. He didn't even hesitate to pull off the linen skirt that wrapped her hips as she pulled off the string that held his trousers. Then, he helped her remove her sleeveless tunic and the necklace around her neck.

Standing in front of him, naked, was the Queen of Meröe, the mightiest woman and warrior, whose name brought fear to many hearts of men; the one who ruled the land, which once had defeated the Roman army. But to him, she looked like any other woman of his people, except that her skin was as black as the Athenian fruits and her hair was black as night and curly.

"Do you like what you see, Godric?"

He threw his look on her body from head to toe. He liked seeing her breasts. They were round and firm, the small parts on them, which were pink, were now also standing. He also liked to see how her waist smoothly led his eyes to her hips and the legs that had kicked his chest and head now looked like the legs of a dancer, muscled but soft. Her inner tight was covered by curly black hair, formed a shape of a triangle. He could see something pink under that hair, and it was glistening – it looked like it was wet. He didn't know what it was, but seeing it made his heart jump. And there was eagerness that he couldn't understand –eagerness to touch it. He felt his own cock getting bigger. As he touched it, it was hard like a piece of wood.

"Is this what you want me to see?" he asked, without being able to take his eyes from her breasts, unless they wandered to her inner thigh.

"You sound disappointed."

He was surprised to hear her voice, which was trembling and different from what he had heard when she was speaking to the Legatus Maximus. She sounded…anxious.

What should he say? He had never been with a naked woman before. Yes, he had seen naked women before, back there in his village, or in the village of the Norsemen. But he had never been this close and this nervous. There were feelings, new feelings that he had never known before. Such as the feelings of wanting to touch her, but at the same time afraid that he might hurt her because she looked fragile. And why was his cock hard and erect like this, when inside, he felt so good? Was he sick?

"No," finally he said. "I like what I see."

She walked two steps toward him. She was very close to him, so close that he could touch her hand, but not close enough that his cock would touch her stomach. She took his hands and put them on her breasts. His heart jumped again as the softness of her skin and the firmness of her breasts touched his hands. A sudden feeling rushed over him, causing his cock to shoot some warm white liquid at her stomach.

"Aaargh," he moaned as he felt his knees were suddenly weak.

"Oh dear," she sighed.

He felt his face get hot. Had he done something wrong? He would've tried to hold it, had he had prior awareness about it. But when he saw her smiling, he smiled too. He was going to wipe off the liquid, when she stopped him and took him into her arms. He held her tightly and growled as their skins touched each other. Her skin was as soft as tiger's fur, but as hot as fire.

Recklessly, they moved closer and closer to the bed. As he touched the bed with his legs and he wasn't able to move anymore, she pushed him down onto the bed. Before he could get up, she was already on top of him, taking both of his hands, and pinning him down. What? Was she trying to trick him, just like Agapetos said? What was she…his thoughts were gone as she bowed and kissed him. Oh…_she can do whatever she wants, _he thought, _I won't say no. _He wouldn't be able to anyway. His body was agreeing her. He felt his blood rushing and his head was empty. He was lying there, being kissed and begging for some more.

Suddenly she let his hand go and rolled herself down. Her chest moved up and down very quickly. Her face was reddish and her mouth was forming a wide smile. Her eyes were closed. He crawled on her and wanted to lie on her when he heard her whispering, "Kiss me, all over."

Without waiting for her second command, he buried his face in her hair. Her hair had soft scent of some flowers. She must have rubbed the flowers on it, whilst taking a bath. He wanted to do it for her one day, if she let him. He wouldn't only rub the flowers on her hair, but everywhere on her body.

Softly he touched her forehead and then gently he kissed her eyes. The eyes that flickered with fire were now closed and surrendered to his will. He kissed the tip of her nose.

"You have a small nose," he whispered.

"I know," she smiled.

Without taking his lips from her skin, he kissed her cheek, and then softly he kissed her ears, one by one. He took her lips with such a passion that she moaned. Those lips had given him pleasure, introduced him to a new way of seeing women, he had to do it, kissing her like that. He wanted her to know how much he appreciated what her lips had done to him.

Her hands touched his head, holding his position for a while, answering his kisses with the same manner, then they ran on his neck, to his back and it wasn't long before he felt her finger nails buried into his flesh. He growled. It was painful, but it didn't make him stop, he even wanted her to do it more. His lips touched her neck, shoulder and hungrily took her nipples, which were hard and standing.

She moaned and gasped as if she had been in pain. When he let it go, her hand held his head and kept it on her breast.

"No Godric…" she said between her moans. "Again…again…" And then, "…the other one…"

He wanted to kiss the nipple softly, but it seemed the stronger he did it, the more she liked it. After a while he went down to her stomach with his hand still on the breast, squeezing and playing. He himself growled and moaned as he kissed her inner thighs and the mound that was covered by the hair. She had a sweet scent, mixed with herbs that he had never smelt or tasted before.

He didn't know how long he had done it and if it had been up to him, he would've done it forever, until she called his name and asked him to come up.

"Come here, My Love! Come…quick!" He crawled on her body slowly, making her ask, almost begging to do it faster. She kissed his mouth and sucked his tongue passionately once their faces were on the same level. He grabbed the sheet to prevent himself for shooting the same liquid again, for the sudden rush had overtaken him.

She rolled him over and pinned him on the bed again. This time, he didn't fight. He lifted his head, grinning, to welcome her kisses. But she didn't do it. Instead, her hand went down to his cock. He gasped. Her hand was soft and warm.

"Godric…" Her eyes were bright and wild. "Call my name!"

"I…" he stopped,perplexed. He realized he didn't know her name. He knew her as 'the Queen'. "I don't know your name."

"Call me as you wish."

Her scent, sweat and the wildness of her eyes made him unable to think. He didn't know what to call her, except, "My Queen…"

She lifted her hips and…

"Aaargh…" he moaned as he felt he was entering something warm and wet. He grabbed her ass to stop himself from exploding. Whatever this feeling was called, he liked it. He couldn't see or feel anything else, except her and himself, as if they were alone on this bed and nothing else mattered, not the decoration on the wall, or the softness of the sheets, not even his own freedom. The words of wisdom that had been spoken by the Greek, to be careful, not to let the Queen influence him in any decision now seemed empty, meaningless. He was inside the Queen now, feeling her deep inside, like he had never done to anybody before, neither man nor woman.

He watched the ways she moved her body, up and down on him, grabbing her own hair with her eyes closed…oh, and how that sweet mouth open! The sound that she was making was like the sound of the forest at the mating time, when the beast – in any form and sizes were creating new beasts, consummating their lusts and love. Yes, now he understood what he and she were doing. They were consummating their own lust and love…Love…so, this was how to love a woman…

As his grip on her hips was getting stronger and stronger, and the sounds they made were louder and louder…the sudden feeling of rush captured and pushed every part of his body to a climax. He felt, his body was going to bust open and he let out a cry. So did she. Then, she fell like a feather on him, wet from sweat and her fast heartbeat.

The room was quiet as he lay on his stomach with half-open eyes. He felt…relaxed. It was like after a battle, only better. His senses were sharpened; he could hear almost everything, even the sound of the wind that touched the plants in the garden! And he could feel how his sweat rolled down his shoulder, how his breath was slowly and calmly filling up his lungs. There was also a feeling in his stomach, in his heart that he couldn't describe. He was … happy, satisfied and peaceful. Could someone feel all of those at once?

The Queen lay beside him. She was on her side. Her hand supported her head, whilst the other hand ran on the fire tattoo on his spine.

"You speak like a Roman, but you are not. A Roman wouldn't paint his body the way you do."

"I am a Cornovii – the mighty Cornovii people who lived in the hill far in the Northern Land, and I am also a member of the Norsemen, who live along the shore. I speak like a Roman, because I have to. If I didn't speak their language, I wouldn't be alive now."

"You're clever."

"You make it sound bad."

"No, my love. It's a question of life or death. It wouldn't be wise to fight our enemy without knowing their strengths or their weaknesses. It isn't bad or good, it makes us human – the creation of Amun."

He touched her hair and played with it. Her hair was strong, but soft, like a piece of cloth the Roman women normally wore.

"If this was a fight, I have lost already. You knew what to do and how to do it. I have a lot to learn from you,"

The finger which was following the shape of the tattoo stopped.

"Would you teach me?" He opened his eyes. He would be disappointed if she said no. "I can start right away."

She laughed. "You want to do it again?"

He nodded. He felt the rush slowly taking over his body again. His cock which was still hard was getting harder again. Oh yes, he wanted to do it again, to be inside her again and again, until there would be nothing left inside him.

"Don't you want to have a break?"

His hand was searching for her breast. "No."

"Oh, dear! Bless the young ones!" she laughed again. He pulled her into his arms, rolled her over and she stopped laughing as he started kissing her.

Xxxxx

So, he had lost his virginity to a queen; he didn't know how many years ago. There were so many strange names, which he mentioned: the Romans, the Cornovii, Amun and the Queen of Meröe, his first woman. I wasn't sure if those names still existed.

I wished I could tell him a story about how I lost my virginity. But really, my body already ached by thinking about it, let alone telling him! No fucking way that I'd give the honor to Reggie to live up his time of victory!

"Did she give you your freedom?"

I tried to be as calm as possible. It was such a very long time ago, right? I wouldn't only sound like a jealous girlfriend, but also a childish one, if I couldn't master this raging feeling.

"She did."

"But?"

"I decided to stay."

I forced myself not to roll my eyes. Of course.

"..as her slave." He stopped playing with my hair. "Her lover, her student…"

"…her King?"

"No." He got down from the bed and took my t-shirt. "It's almost dawn," He put it on. "I have to go. Do you have jeans I can borrow? I don't want to go home half-naked.'

I wrapped myself with a blanket.

"What do you do that for? I saw you naked already."

"You don't want to go home half-naked; I don't want to run around naked." I opened my closet and took out a pair of trousers. "I hope they fit."

I gave then to him. The trousers were a bit too short and on the hip it looked a bit too loose. Well, what could I say? I wasn't a skinny bitch, like his Queen!

"You will continue your story, won't you?"

"Maybe," he smiled. "If you behave yourself."

I took a pillow and threw it at him. "I always behave myself!"

He caught the pillow and kissed it. "Yes, you do."

"What was her name…your queen?"

His smile was frozen. He threw the pillow to the bed. He turned around and walked to the door.

"Godric?" I called out his name, but he was already gone.

I threw myself on the bed. Godric left such a strong smell on the bed cover, pillow and me. I always thought that vampires didn't leave traces or smells, but again, I was wrong. He smelled of…I sniffed the pillow…something like…grass…and sand…hmm…and a hint of a smell of flower…but what flower?

A Queen…Godric's first love was a Queen…what was the name again…Meröe…yeah that's the name. She must have been a beautiful woman, elegant and rich. Just like Lorena in Bill's life, there was a fucking queen in Godric's life. Fuck! Why did the past lovers of men of my and Sookie's interests have to be beautiful, elegant and rich women? Why, for fuck sake, not ugly, fat and poor women…well, at least poor ones, just like us? How would I be able to fight against her memory?

What the fuck? I got up. Why would I even try? I didn't love him and he didn't love me either. What we had was purely sex. He had saved me once and I only returned the favour….

"Aaaargh!" I screamed.

That was lame and I knew it. Some hours ago, I had tried to fight him when I thought he wanted to rape me as he was scrubbing me under the shower (I made a mental note to ask him about it). I hadn't fucked him because he had saved me. I had fucked him because….yeah, why had I fucked him? Did I need a reason for it? Would I even call it fucking? Godric had taken time to arouse, touch, and spoil me with his kisses. When he had been inside me, I could feel how he was trembling. The look in his pale gray eyes was the look of admiration and lust. He had made me feel precious, and loved. And honestly, it was love making what he did to me, not just fucking. He made me feel like a queen. Queen…

"Aaaargh!" I screamed again and threw the pillow at the wall. Queen, fucking queen!

I'd google it tomorrow. Meröe, queen and Roman. Perhaps, I would feel much better afterwards.

xxxxx


	9. The First Encounter

Chapter Nine

**The First Encounter**

The telephone rang, three times or more. I didn't care. My head, my heart and my whole body ached. Not only from the sex that I had with Godric last night, but also from the information I'd got from that god damn fucking Google!

I had found where Meröe City is or was. It located somewhere in Sudan, Africa. There were names of Queens and Kings who ruled the Kingdoms. Most pictures of women I saw were quite large women. So, Godric's first woman wasn't a skinny bitch, and she was an African, which meant she was black. I should've guessed when he said her skin had been like Athenian Fruits (I searched again, and found that an olive tree had been created when the Goddess Athena struck her spears to the ground. Therefore, the city was named Athena, to honor the goddess. In ancient times, it was commonly called Athenian Fruits). This Meroitic Kingdom had existed long time ago, reaching back to more than 1000 BCE. My blood went cold when I read this. Could it be that Godric was around 2000 or 3000 years old? Then, I read something that made my chest hot, like I had been staked.

The Queens of Meröe had a title 'kandake' or 'kentake'. In the Gideon Bible and other Bible, it was mentioned, "Candace – the queen of Ethiopians" (I really should read the Bible again – especially the Gideon one!)

Godric had murmured that word; he called out his fucking queen when he had been making out with me in the small kitchen!

I had been _this_ close to smashing my computer when I realized I didn't have money to afford a new one. Two thousand years or more and he still called out her name, even during fucking another woman! I felt betrayed, cheated and used!

If I saw his face again, I would fucking stake him!

I kicked the box of tissues. It flew somewhere to the corner. I should've known. He's a fucking vampire! It's my own damn fault for trusting him, to let him inside my house, in me! And he had left my living room a disaster, as if Katrina had come and turned it upside down!

What had happened?

I remembered Sat had been here, giving me a small bag made of cotton. I had found the bag (it was on the floor) on it was TT written. 'Tara Thornton'. Callisto had made it for me, according to Sat. Then, I had made a cup of tea from it, and that was it.

How had Godric come in? Why hadn't I remembered that I had invited him? But he had been here, he had given me a bath, scrubbed roughly – to be exact, and then we had sex. The things that happened in between I didn't remember. I pulled my hair. God…what was happening to me? I had to ask Sookie. Had the same things happened to her, when she drank Bill's or Eric's blood?

A rough knock on the door pulled me back to reality, but I didn't have either the energy to shout or to get down from the sofa and answer the door. After the third knock and I hadn't answered it either, the door was opened with force. Lafayette was standing there, with his hands on his hips.

"Jesus Christ, Tara! What have you done?"

"It wasn't me." I said. "It was a fucking vampire!"

"What? A vampire…did all of this?" He pointed the room and then looked at me. "Did he do you too?"

"Shut it!" I yelled.

Lafayette came to me with his fingers lifted. It looked as if he had been afraid to touch anything.

"Oh, Girl…" he took me in his arms. "What happened to you?"

I held him tight. "I've been asking the same thing too."

I told him everything that had happened, from the accident night until last night. Lafayette's well shaped eyebrow was getting higher and higher while he listened to my story about the horse.

"There's no horse in Bon Temps," he said, and I agreed. He lifted his hands as I told him about what happened in the bathroom and on the bed (not the sex thing, but the part where I tried to seduce Godric after almost being raped).

"That is so fucking weird," he said. "You should report him to the authority. He attempted to rape you, Girl…"

"No, he didn't."

"Yes, he did. He touched you when you definitely said no. You did say 'no', didn't you?"

I nodded.

"You have to do it, so that he won't do it again."

But to whom? To Andy? I wouldn't give him the pleasure to hear that a vampire tried to rape me. To Eric? Godric already had problems with Eric, and if what Sookie said was true, Eric would try to bring him to vampire court. I didn't know how they punished their own kind, but I could imagine it wouldn't be kind. His tender eyes and soft way of looking at me flashed in front of me. No, no fucking way. He had been gentle to me even when I had asked him to do to me as he wanted…and nobody had ever treated me so patiently and tenderly in bed as he did…

"Oh, no…" Lafayette's voice made me look him up. "I know that look."

"What look?"

"Jesus! He must have been very good in bed to make you to have that look. Girl, you're in love!"

"What? No fucking way. He saved me! I don't want to repay him by reporting him to the police!"

"Yeah, yeah…whatever…"

"Don't 'whatever' my opinion…" I covered my mouth. Had I just used Godric's sentence?

"Did you just use 'whatever' as a verb?" He looked at me. His eyes were wide open.

"You spend too much time with your politician!" I said. "You are using complicated words!"

"Leave Bob out of this!" he said. "Now, what do you want to do? Do you want to report him or not?"

"I don't know."

"And what about this…" he made a kind of whirling movement, pointing at the living room. "…shit."

"He said he'd fix it."

"Did he?" he looked cynical. "How do you know that he told you the truth?"

"I'll ask him."

"You don't have any plan to look for him, do you?"

"No. But he works at Merlotte's…"

"What?" his bangles made noises as he tried to remove the tail of his bandana. "Since when did a vampire work at Merlotte's?"

"Since you are busy shagging your politician and forgetting your work."

"Hah, as if you're always able to keep your own fucking job. Seriously, since when did Sam hire vampires?"

"A week ago, around…"

"I don't like this." He got up. "Your accident, your nosy doctor, your nosy social worker and your vampire…it's too much for coincidence to me."

"You mean somebody wants to kill me?"

"Hah, I know for certain that half of Bon Temps residents want to kill you," Lafayette smiled. "I'm just not sure if they will actually do it. Girl, to think that somebody wants to kill you and they actually get along with their plans, you have to be sure you must have done something real bad to them. The questions are to whom and what have you done?"

"Godric was right."

"He might've known about that all along, or he might've been a part of the plan…"

"Oh, shut up! I don't believe in any conspiracy theory. He saved my life. He couldn't have been a part of the plan! I mean, why would he bother to save me if he was?"

"Girl, you're in a deep shit. You're blinded by love."

I was in a deep shit all right. My body ached, my house was a disaster and I wasn't sure if I could go to work. Godric was only a tiny part of the problem. I could dump him at any time I wanted. He's a vampire. Unlike the other boyfriends I'd had, a simple withdraw of the invitation would make him unable to enter my house. He might be deaf and not want to listen to the denial, but still, he wouldn't be able to enter my house. At least, I'd be safe!

But who's gonna pay for the disaster in my living room? Surely I wasn't the one! Godric and Sat had done it; they had to figure out how to split the cost!

After a good omelet breakfast made by Lafayette, and a long shower, I decided to go Callisto's place. Lafayette's big eyes got bigger when he saw the bite marks on my body.

"Jesus, Tara! What has he done? Oh, I do hope he's worth all those bruises!"

Yes, he is. Definitely.

"I'll tell Sam not to hire him anymore…"

"No." I cut him off. "I don't want anybody else to know that he and I …you know,"

Lafayette looked at me. "You're sure about this? He could glamour you and do other nasty stuffs to you." I wasn't sure about the 'nasty' part; Lafayette wasn't really serious either because I saw the twinkling lights in his eyes.

"Yeah, I am sure."

I could handle Godric. He might be thousands of years old, but he's just a seventeen-year-old boy, mentally. Oh, yeah. I can handle a seventeen-year-old boy anytime!

Xxxxx

Callisto held me tight as soon as she saw me.

"Goodness, Tara! I was so worried when you didn't pick up the phone, and thinking to myself, 'I have to see her! I have to see what's going on with her!'"

She took me straight to her kitchen, poured a cup of tea and asked me to sit down.

"Where's Sat?"

"He didn't tell you?"

"What?"

"He went straight to New York after giving you the tea. He did give you the tea, didn't he?"

I was confused. "Yeah…"

"I'd asked him to wait for the result, then around ten minutes later he called me that it worked and he left for New York. One of his professors had called him and wanted to discuss some paperwork with him."

Then…what had happened last night? Why did my living room look like a battlefield?

"You look confused, my dear."

I didn't look confused, I_ was _confused!

Callisto took my hands. "What happened?"

I'd like to know the answer too. I decided to tell Callisto about what I had heard last night and what I believed I'd seen during the accident. Carefully, I avoided telling her about Godric. I meant, if Sat hadn't been in Bon Temps last night, it could only mean one thing. Godric had lied.

"That's interesting," she said. "I'd really love to know more. Why don't you stay with me for a couple of days and see what happens."

"Are you sure about that? I don't remember much from last night, and in the morning I found my room in a total disastrous condition. I don't want the same thing to happen here."

"Don't be silly. You're not alone here. We will take care of you, Tara. You don't have to be afraid of losing memories again."

"I'll think about it, okay?"

Callisto touched my face. "Take as much time as you want, dear. My door is always open for you."

I spent the whole day at her place. I loved it there. I didn't have so many people, who could give me comfort. If I had, I tried to stick by them. One of them had been Gran. Now that Gran died, I only had Sookie. If Callisto could give me the same comfort as Gran or Sookie did, I would stay with her too.

The sky was dark when I went home. The South-West street looked creepy in the night. It was the last corner of town that was developed. There were not so many houses, yet; and the distance between the houses was far too big for my taste. There were still a lot of trees and empty abandoned lots. During the day, it was wonderful to be here, especially during hot days in the summer. The trees gave us coolness and protection from the direct sunlight and when the fall came, the colours of the leaves were beautiful. They were red, yellow, brown and green. I had felt many times as if I had entered some kind of painting. Ruby-Jane hated this street.

'Too many shimmering people,' she said once. 'And they aren't always friendly, especially the ones who come up from the pond.'

If those shimmering people existed, I just hoped they would be at least a little bit friendly to me tonight. It's enough with horseman, vampires and god knows what else that would come to my head. I really didn't want to join Ruby-Jane at her fancy hospital. Yeah, it's fancy and it's expensive too, but it's still a hospital. You stay there when you're sick! No excellent service would be able to convince me to stay!

My steps stopped when suddenly, I saw a shadow under a tree. _Jesus, Maria, Joseph! _I said in my heart. _I know I didn't call you guys often enough, but please…help me?_ Oh, I really should read the Bible again so that I know how to say a prayer against ghosts or demons – there is something like that in the Bible, isn't it?

"Who's there?"

That shadow moved.

My heart jumped when I heard the steps. It's a horse's steps! No…not the horseman! He's real…he's not only in my head…or was it? I was at this street, where Ruby-Jane saw things…how could I be so sure that it was real….?

I'd better stop thinking. I had to run, now! But my feet were stuck to the ground. I couldn't move! No! My breath ran faster, but my body stayed. No panic…I may not get panicked.

"Easy…easy horsey…" I said.

That shadow was getting nearer, but I couldn't see its face. There wasn't enough light on this street. The people who lived on this street were really greedy fucking assholes who didn't want to spend a bit more money to buy lamps! I cursed them all!

As the steps were getting louder, I closed my eyes. It was stupid, really, but I didn't want to see it. I didn't want to carry its face in my head for the rest of my life! God, please help me…Suddenly, I felt strong wind pass by me. I opened my eyes, and I was sure I was out of my mind and definitely would join Ruby-Jane any day soon.

In front of me stood a figure, facing the horseman. He or she was shimmering under the dim light.

I was definitely seeing things!

"Go!" It was a she. "You are not welcome here."

I heard a neigh. I didn't know if it was a yes or a no, but the shimmering figure said, "Don't try our patience."

Obviously, it was a no.

The horseman neighed again, and then he moved away.

"Thank you," I said.

"Don't come here during the night. It's not safe for you."

"Yeah, I know now."

"Go." She said.

"I am going!" I said if I could move my feet. "Thanks a…"

Whoossh, suddenly she's gone. She must have been one of those unfriendly shimmering people…anyway, thanks.

I felt weak. This was too much for me. First the horseman, and now ….my head spun. How would I be able to go home? Unable to hold myself any longer, I fell; however, before my body touched the ground, I heard a soft voice, "Tara…"

Xxxxx


	10. A Confession

**Author's Note: **The People of Meröe were called Kushites or Cushites. Normally, their language is called 'Meroitic Language', but I take the liberty to name it differently. Some of us might know them as the Nubian, which according to the information that I read (Like Tara, I love and hate Google); it came from the Arabic word 'nub' (gold); because Meroe/Kush indrustry was already well developed and obviously one of the main products from Meroe was gold or jeweleries. Some even called it "Birmingham Africa"... I would say the other way around, Birmingham is the "Meroitic Europe"...but hey, that's just me.

* * *

Chapter Ten

**A Confession**

I tried to stop my hands from shaking, but I couldn't. This had been way too much for me. I wasn't sure if I could handle it much longer. The cup I was holding shook wildly.

Godric sat in front of me. His face was as gentle as ever and slowly it gave me a creepy feeling. It was impossible for anybody to stay calm and gentle all the time like that, as if nothing and I meant nothing was able to touch their hearts, but then again, he had no heart!

"I am here, Tara. Don't be afraid."

"Why the fuck does everybody keep telling me that?" I drank the tea, and spat it out immediately. "What is this?"

"Tea."

"It tastes like horse pee!" It was bitter and wuah, horrible. How many tea-bags had he used anyway?

"I don't know how to make tea. I put some bags in a kettle and boiled them."

No wonder! Vampires! I knew they're dead, but at least they could read, couldn't they? "You definitely have to learn cooking if you want to please me."

"I can't and I won't," he said. "And you can't make me."

"Why are you working in a restaurant if you don't want to learn to cook?"

His pale grey eyes looked at me. The gentleness in them was gone.

"You knew! You knew that I work at Merlotte's and you've been…" I moved away from him, "…stalking me!"

"That…that is a bad word. You make me sound like I was a psycho."

"So what are you doing, exactly?"

"I want to know more about you..."

"That's another word for stalking!"

"Tara, please, be serious! Somebody tried to kill you once; they will try again. They must have a reason."

"Why…why does everybody suddenly care about me? Sookie, Sookie I can understand. She is a telepath…" I covered my mouth with my hands. Oh, fuck! Oh, shit!

"Is she?" Godric didn't seem to be surprised.

"You knew about that too?"

"No, but it doesn't surprise me."

I wanted to ask 'why', but the firmness in his eyes made me change my mind. Godric never looked like this before. He was alert…about what, I didn't know. Something…something troubled him. Did he also see what I had seen?

"I saw the horseman…I also saw a woman (I wanted to say a shimmering woman, but I didn't want to sound like Ruby-Jane). Did you see them?"

"Yes."

"You knew about this?"

"Yes, but it's been a long time since I've seen them."

"And you didn't tell me?"

"I told you, I could tell you, but I am sure that your modern way of life will make you refuse to believe me."

"That horseman…that horseman tried to attack me…" my blood boiled. "And you didn't tell me about him?" I threw the cup at him. "You son of a bitch!"

Brakk!

The cup hit his head. He fell off the sofa and the cup fell on the floor and broke into pieces.

"Godric…" I ran to him. Jesus, what had I done? He was sitting on the floor; blood ran from his forehead. The wound closed itself rapidly, but the blood stain was still there. "I am sorry," I said. "I am really sorry." I kissed his already healed forehead.

"I am all right," he said, but he didn't sound all right at all. He was growling and his eyes were flickering.

"Thank God," I felt relieved.

"You really should control yourself, Tara."

He wasn't the only one who said that. Almost everybody I knew said that. They were right. I really should consider it and do it!

He touched my face. "Lucky me, I am a vampire." Click, his fangs were out. "I heal fast. Lucky you, I don't get angry too fast. Otherwise…" those fangs aimed at my throat.

I touched his fangs. They looked harmless, but I knew now how sharp they were. I had their traces on my shoulder and other parts of my body. I kissed his mouth and sucked his tongue. I felt his fangs touched the corners of my mouth as he was returning my kiss…it was painful, but I didn't care. My breath touched his face when I let myself go. Our foreheads met. "I read some articles about your queen's town. You still love her, don't you?"

His eyes were slowly calming down. He even smiled. However, his fangs weren't sunk yet."Don't you? Don't you still love your first man?"

Reginald LeBlanc? I wished he rotted in hell! Not only that he humped like a rabbit, he also had a mouth like a crocodile. The next day after we had done it, the whole school knew about it. "But it's been long time ago," I tried to kick Reggie's grinning face out of my head.

"She's the only woman I had as a human. She's the only anchor of my previous life that reminds me how it was to be a human, to understand and to love a human. To feel … like a human."

"I don't like hearing you calling her name when you are kissing me."

He licked my fingers. "You smelled and looked like her that night."

That's it. I pulled my fingers and stood up. "Bad news for you, I am not her. Either you see me as who I am or get the fuck…"

"I said 'that night'," he interrupted me. "It's only normal that I called her."

"That is no excuse!" I got louder. "It's bad enough I slept with a vampire, now I find out that the vampire, whom I slept with, had slept with me because I reminded him of his first fuck!"

"Bad enough?" He got up and within a blink of an eye; and he already had me pushed against the wall. "You acted differently last night," he touched my face. The coldness that came from that hand wasn't able to change my feeling.

"Yeah, bad enough. I should've listened to my brain and not…"

"Don't," he cut me off, "listen to your brain! Listen to your heart," his hand was now on my neck, "And to your body. They will tell you what you need to know." His body was now growing hard; I could feel it pushing against me. Jeez, Godric! _You're a horny son of a bitch!_

"I can think, you know…," I cursed myself for sounding shaky.

His lips were closing in on mine. His fangs were flashing dangerously. "I know. You couldn't stop thinking, even whilst I was touching you. You should let yourself go, enjoy yourself more."

I thought he would say 'enjoy me more' instead of 'enjoy yourself more'. I sighed. Godric, even when he was horny, he thought about me. God, I must have done something good in my past life! I touched his face…and yet today, I had said bad things about him…I sighed. I felt so stupid…being jealous of a woman, who might have died 2000 years ago, forgetting about the gentleness of her lover and being angry for nothing.

Suddenly, he moved backward. "I have to go."

"What?" I perplexed.

"Sam is waiting for me."

_Oh, no you don't! _I caught his hand. "You have to tell me what you know about the horseman and that woman!" Besides, he couldn't just tell me that he's horny (well, he hadn't exactly told me) and then leave! "You can call Sam and tell him that you're going to come a little bit later."

He looked at my hand, and then without saying anything, he threw me over his shoulder. "Godric! Put me down!" I screamed. "Godric, I am warning you!"

He put me down, not in the living room, but on the bed. "I will tell you the story, but only on the bed. And yes, Sam can wait."

"We will not have sex tonight." I wasn't sure whether it had been a statement or a question.

His eyebrow was lifted. "Did I say anything about having sex?"

No. He didn't have to. His linen trousers couldn't hide what he really felt. It was building a tent! Like he said himself, he really should've listened to his body and his body was telling me he wanted me!

"Come here," I opened my arms. "You can tell your story while you're in my arms."

"Promise that you won't throw things at me again?"

"Cross my heart and wish to die."

"That is a stupid thing to say. Nobody wishes to die."

"Not even you?"

He crawled on the bed and laid his head in my arms. He moved into a more comfortable position and said, "I wished to die, once. When she died," I could only assume that 'she' was his Queen. "But my maker didn't allow me."

"How did he do it? Just order you: Hey you; stupid boy, listen, I forbid you to die!"

"Something like that, yeah."

I touched his wavy hair. "And you followed? Hah, my mother could stand on her hands naked and order me to do something, I still wouldn't follow."

"In the vampire world, your maker is your god. You have to obey. You can't do anything else. You can't refuse it, because your body will do it for you. How is your mother anyway? I want to meet her."

I laughed. "Don't tell me, you want to ask her if you are allowed to marry me?"

He looked up. "Marrying you would be the greatest thing to do. But I live forever and stay young. You'll be growing older and dying shortly. Do you think you can handle your jealousy without throwing things at me, when I am talking to a younger woman?"

I felt my face get hot. "I wasn't jealous! I was angry that…"

"I was thinking about my first fuck when I touched you." He returned to his previous position. "Yeah right, tell me about it." His voice sounded cynical. When I craned my head to look at him, I saw him grinning. I hit his shoulder. "Ouch, that hurts!" he said.

"You're a vampire! Little hit like that means nothing!"

"It doesn't mean I don't have any feeling."

"Do you? I always believed vampires don't feel anything."

"Why? Because we are dead or because we don't have hearts?"

I didn't answer. At least, that was what I thought all along. Vampires are dead; they don't feel anything. A face of a slimy priest from a strange church called 'Followers of the Sun' or something sounded like that flashed in front of me. I could hear his voice ringing in my head, 'They are dead, people. Dead, like real dead. God will not bring up the dead for creating disaster, which they are; or make them sucking blood creatures with no morals or feelings of love, which they are.'

Godric reached out and grabbed my neck. He bent it softly so that he could kiss me. "Of course I can feel something, the same things you have, but stronger. I can hear and see better. I can run faster, some of us can even fly…"

"You don't sound like you're happy about it."

"But we can't eat or drink. We can't have the joy of standing under the sun and feeling its warmth. We have to walk under the grimy light of the pale moonlight and remember the days when we still could feel the heat on our faces."

"You miss all of those things?"

"It is every vampire's greatest dream."

"Can't you just put on a lot of clothes, sun glasses and stay under the shadow…" I saw a TV series once, in which the vampire (a damn good looking actor played the vampire) could walk in the day, and as long as he didn't have too much time in the sun, he would be okay. Pity, the TV station cancelled the series, because I was damn curious about the continuity of the relationship between the vampire and the girl – _concentrate, Tara! _I shook my head to get rid of the thought about that TV program and that vampire-actor…actor-vampire…whatever!

"Unfortunately, not. I would burn and die…to meet Aeron, at last."

"Stop talking about your stupid goddess!"

He got up and turned around. "What if I called your god stupid?"

"He doesn't order us to do human sacrifices like yours!"

"Still, he didn't fight when the Romans tortured him!"

"That's love!"

"So, it'll be okay if I torture you because you love me?"

"First, I don't love you. Second, I am not a god. I can't answer your question. But I believe love is an answer for many problems. And no, it's not okay to torture somebody or commit violence against the person that you love!"

He smiled. "Good that you said it. I hope you remember when you face some problems."

Which part was the good one, that I didn't love him or that I wasn't a god?

He returned to his position and placed my hands on his chest. "Are you sure we won't have sex tonight?"

I was perplexed with the sudden change of topic. "Yeah, I am sure." I lied.

He kissed my hands. "There's something in your vein that makes that horseman interested in you, Tara. You have to be careful."

Again, he changed the subject as easy as that. I really wanted to know how he did it.

"You mean my blood?"

He didn't answer.

"Godric, I read on the Internet," I decided to change the subject, "that Meröe City existed back before Jesus Christ was born. Does it mean that you are...," I choked. "…two thousand year old?"

"More or less," he said lightly.

I felt my heart stop beating. More or less…I slept with a two-thousand-year man in a body of a seventeen year old boy…Jesus!

It seemed Godric felt it too. He got up again and took me into his arms. "Easy, Tara. Breathe…breathe, Tara…," he kissed me on the forehead. "My apologies for causing you such a shock, my child, but I'd like you to know a little bit about me, so you don't have to worry about my safety. Your own safety, that's what you should be worried about."

I grabbed his fragile body. "Godric…"

"Yes, Tara?"

"Stop calling me 'my child'" I held him tighter.

I thought if I heard it from the vampire himself about his age, I would feel better. However, I was wrong. I felt numb. Something in me refused to believe a man could live that long. Then something else hit me. He is not a man, he is a vampire. I trembled. I was in the arms of a vampire, a creature that I had hated since the first day I heard the news of their existence. I didn't know why I hated them, maybe because I was afraid of them, or because I couldn't force myself to accept the truth that there was a different kind of life after death. I didn't know.

What I knew, now, in his arms, I felt safe. My heart beat regularly again and I felt relaxed. I felt wanted and protected; feelings that I never had in my life, except when I had been with Gran. I felt I didn't have to pretend to be strong and able to handle anything. I felt that it would be okay to cry because I was afraid or confused.

And I did. I cried in his arms. Godric held me even tighter. He didn't say a word, which I appreciated, no 'ssshh' or any other meaningless words to calm me down, just a tight hold and the coldness of his body. His body…I kissed his chest…which was small, but muscled…which had given me pleasure like I had never had before…which had been patiently arousing and waiting for my orgasm before he had his own. I pulled him with me, as I laid myself down.

"Tara…" he lifted his body.

I didn't want to hear any words from him or from my brain that told me to stop. It was neither right nor wise to do. But I didn't want to be wise or right. I wanted to get rid of this strange feeling I was having – a mix of disbelief and fear to know about his age and his being. For me he's Godric, a man, who knew how to treat me, to make me feel how it was to be a woman who was wanted by her man.

I felt every part of my body screaming in ecstasy when both of us reached our climax at the same time. It hadn't been my first or second, and yet, it felt like it had been the first. I could feel the sweat rolling down my skin, and my heart jumped irregularly, and I swore it had a life of its own outside my body because it was so loud it felt as if it had been on my chest, and not inside my ribcage.

Godric now lay on his stomach. His white body looked pale under the dim light that came from the corner. His ass looked like two little hills, popping up and inviting me to touch it.

"Don't look at my ass like that," he said. I looked at him; his eyes were closed, but he was smiling. "I'll screw you again if you continue." My eyes went to his cock and couldn't stop myself from wondering whether it was either still hard or getting hard again. "I mean it, Tara."

"Don't get too horny," but I looked somewhere else, anywhere else, but his ass. I even looked at my finger nails and realized, they needed to be trimmed. "You might regret it."

He laughed. His laugh sounded like it came from his belly, just like Big John's. "No, I won't. You, on the other hand, might regret it if I don't do it."

"What about the story of the horseman, you said you want to tell me," Trying to get his attention on something else, I ran my fingers on his fire tattoo – the one on his spine.

He opened his eyes. "The Romans called it 'Faun'. The Greek never called it by its Greek name. For you know, many names that were spoken by the Romans came from the Greeks. He said to me, if I ever saw it, the only thing I can do is to look for its priest. Then, I have to kill the priest. Once the priest is killed, it will return to its place, because the priest is the one who gives him life."

"Did you ever see it?"

"Yes."

"Did you find the priest?"

"Yes."

My finger was very close to the red tattoo and almost touching it when Godric said, "No. Don't touch it."

I lifted my finger. Two thousand years, and he still couldn't forget how he had gotten this tattoo. Poor one…I touched his hair and kissed his forehead. All this time and he had to carry that burden.

I lay myself beside him. "When did you see him and were you able to kill him?"

His eyes were closed again. "It's a long story. I will have to tell you about my life in the palace."

I swallowed my spit. "Go on."

Now his eyes were wide open. There was wildness in his eyes that somehow scared me. Did I make the right decision? Seeing him like that gave me a glimpse of how he had been as a human. He must have been a wild boy, who had given a lot of people a lot of problems.

He turned around and asked me to come to him. I put my head on his chest and let him play with my hair. It was a habit he had since he had been a human and it seemed he couldn't get rid of it. I might as well live with it.

"I didn't know anything about politics back then. My life had been always a question of survival. I am blessed with a gift to be able to learn the language of my masters quickly. Within a short time, I was able to speak the language of the Kushites, that's what the people of Meröe called themselves, and the Greek's. The Greek said it would be better for me if I pretended not to be able to understand what the Kushites said. 'We never know how they will react when they hear their slaves speak in their language. It's always better to stay hidden and calm, Young Godfrey.' But I was young and proud. I wanted to show my queen I was able to understand her language."

"How did she react?"

"She didn't summon me for seven nights."

"Stupid bitch!"

"Yes, that was what I thought too…of course, I didn't call her a bitch. When she did, she ordered me not to speak another word of the Kushites' language. I was angry with her. I said she never had the intention to treat me like a free man, an equal, who's free to do what I pleased. And she said I had decided to be her slave, and promised her to obey her without question, whatever her order would be."

"What did you say?"

"I left her room and didn't come there again until she came to my room."

"And how long was it?" I was curious. Knowing he was horny most of the time, it must have been very hard for him to avoid his Queen.

"She came to my room in the middle of the night – in the same night, when the slaves were sleeping and only a few guards were walking around the palace." His hand stopped. He was remembering the night, and to be honest, I didn't want to hear his story about how they had made up. "The Greek said to me the next morning I should've been able to control myself and win over the Queen. She would take advantage of my own weakness to get what she wanted."

I agreed with the Greek, but I said, "Why did he say that?"

"Because I told him I wouldn't learn or speak the Kushite language again with her or with anybody. He said that for my own good, I should continue learning the language. Whether I would use it or not, I had to decide according to the circumstances. He seemed to have changed his mind. He told me that he saw more benefits than harms for me if I could master the language. I said no. If I did it, it would be against the Queen's wish. 'Young Godfrey,' he said. 'What the Queen doesn't know won't harm her.'"

"Clever him, stupid you."

"I was in love. I did whatever I could to be with her."

Or she must have been very good in bed that she could change his mind in a second.

"But you are right, and so was the Greek."

xxxxx


	11. The First Times

**Author Note: **Based on the writing that was found on the stele (An upright stone or slab with an inscribed or sculptured surface, used as a monument or as a commemorative tablet in the face of a building.) the Meroitic Kingdom used the Demotic Egyptian script. Demotic Egyptian is the Egyptian language which was developed and used in Lower Egypt and Nile Delta from the later part of the 25th Dynasty (around 600 BC) until around AD 452. The one that was used in Meroitic stele (or stelae) was the Late Demotic Egyptian, by the time The Cush Kingdom and Egypt had contact with the Roman.

I am not sure if the commoners or the royals/elites spoke in Egyptian too, in fact, I don't know. I am still waiting for the confirmation of a person who knows more about this. Therefore, some sentences might or might not be changed in the future. Forgive my ambition to be as closed as possible to the history. I am a kind of history nerd (well, basically I am a nerd), but I am sure you all notice already - lol -

* * *

Chapter Eleven

**The First Times**

Life had never been kind to him. Since he was small, Godric had learned one thing, to be able to survive; he had to do everything better and faster than others. As the third son of his father, he had never been seen with one eye. His voice had always been the weakest and his will had never been considered, until a Druid saw him reading the words of trees that some Druids wrote on the ground. He was asked where he had learned the knowledge of the Druids; he said he could understand them only by listening to the Druids reading them during the bonfire.

His father then taught him how to fight and the Druids taught him how to read the words of trees. There were two other boys with him. Their faces came to his dreams long after they had been killed by the Norsemen, but he could never remember their names.

"Everything will be fine, Godric," one of the Druids said when they asked him and the other boys to drink. "We will paint the spirit of Belenos on your spine and pray for him to keep our people together and our warriors will fiercely shine in the battle."

The Spirit of Belenos, the God of Sun they invoked together with Rudianos before they went to war, was fire and it was painted on his spine. In the morning after the ceremony, he screamed in agony as he felt fire burn his back and the pain he carried days afterward was a pain he swore he would never have again.

Now, living in a palace, where he had nothing to do, except to learn painting the words on papyrus during the day, and learning how to love his queen during the night, made him uneasy.

At the beginning, he hadn't been sure if he continued learning or not. He had to write – that's how the Greek called 'painting the words' on a papyrus - some kind of trees which grew in this land, on the bank of a river they called 'Nile'. He remembered once, that he had tried to carve a tree so his words stayed and lived forever. He was caught and punished by the Druids. He had to plant a tree and take care as he would take care of his child; after they had whipped him several times.

"Yes, Young Godfrey, papyrus is a tree," said the Greek. The Greek was the only man who called him with his old name, and out of respect, he allowed him. Otherwise, he wouldn't hesitate to draw his sword and challenged him. "But isn't a house or the bed you lie upon every night made of trees? The trees are made by the Gods for us. As Athena – the golden haired daughter of Zeus created fruits for the people. The trees are here for us so we can eat, warm our bodies and protect our women and children from cold and harm. Or do you want to entertain Her Majesty on the cold ground instead of on a warm bed?"

They had done it. Yes, he had taken or entertained – as the Greek put it – the Queen on the cold ground several times. Either it was on the floor beside the bed or on the wet ground in the garden under _gealach – _the Brightness, whose pale face appeared on the sky bigger and brighter than he had seen above his village. Sometimes they had even done it on the floor beside a pond, which was built in a room in the palace. He liked that pond. It was built according to the Roman fashion. It had warm water, which moved. The slaves cleaned and put scent in its water every day so it didn't smell bad. Around it were pillars with statues of lion heads on its sides. There were also statues of men and women, lying on their sides, holding jars. From the jars, water would flow to the pond. Some plants were put inside pots and arranged according to the Queen's wish.

"It's a swimming pool, Godric." The Queen told him. "You can swim, have a bath or even play in it. You will love it. Come, I'll show you how to swim."

He might have lived on the hill, but he knew how to swim. His father had taught him how, and his Norsemen brothers were the mightiest sea people he had ever seen. They hadn't only taught him how to swim; they had also taught him how to build a ship.

However, Godric didn't intend to tell the Greek about it.

Amani – the Queen's chamber maid came to his room from time to time, bringing some clothes and taught him how to dress properly. He was the most beloved slave of the Queen for the moment; it wasn't appropriate to run around like a barbarian.

"I am not a barbarian!" he protested as she helped him put on the sleeveless tunic. "My people perhaps dress up differently and do not believe in the same gods like yours, but we are not barbarian! Don't you dare speaking about my people the way the Romans do!"

Amani bowed. "Forgive me, Master Godric. What I wanted to say is, we should put the law and the customs of the land where our feet walk, on our shoulder and respect the way its people live."

"You are a wise woman. Who has taught you such a knowledge?"

"Her Majesty, and my grandmother."

"They are wise indeed."

She smiled. "Women are the wisest kind, Master Godric, and proud."

Godric laughed. "Yes, they are proud indeed."

She folded his leather trousers. "I'll put your trousers in a box. From now on, you should learn to enjoy our clothes."

"I don't want to run around like a Roman."

The Romans wore a kind of skirt made of leather, and so did the Kushite men, only their skirt was made of linen.

"Then you should wear the clothes according to your fashion, Master Godric, only made of linen and not leather."

As he came to the Queen's chamber, she sat on her bed, looking at him with narrowed eyes. "Turn around," she said.

He turned around.

"Come here."

He came to her.

"You should wear trousers made of linen as long as you live, Godric," she took both his hands. "You look as if God Apedemak himself touched you with his blessing."

Apedemak was the God of Kushites people, pictured as a man with a lion head, the son of Amun – the God of Sun…Belenos' son.

The Queen gave him a pectoral made of gold and blue stones. He refused it. "No, I won't wear it. The only jewel I will wear is either a stick or a knife…and your smell on my body…"

The Queen laughed. "You are indeed a priest of your people, Godric. You know how to make women happy with your words."

"You taught me."

"No, my love. It's in your blood. However, there are still some lessons you can learn from me." She reached out her hand.

He took that hand. And he'd learn from her gladly.

However, there were days when nothing happened. Especially when the days were longer than the nights and he had finished his lesson with the Greek. In the day time, he wasn't allowed to come to her chamber or to the room where she worked. She was always surrounded by men and roles of papyrus, discussing the matters of her land – at least that's what Amani had told him.

He would wander around the palace and his feet went astray to the corners of the palace, where other slaves lived or where the soldiers were quartered. At first, they looked at him suspiciously, knowing he was one of the Queen's harlots. He could tell Her Majesty things which could harm them. But he was just a slave like them and not a harlot – for whatever that meant.

"Master Godric," one of the slaves said. "You are Her Majesty's companion in her chamber, like some men before you; you are her harlot. Let's pray that you stay as her harlot longer than the previous ones."

She was a queen; of course she had many lovers before him, just like the chieftains in his land. They had women besides their wives, but why had he felt like he had been stabbed with a knife to know he was just another harlot for her?

Sometimes, he would go out of the palace, accompanied by one or two guards (the Queen's order, they said) and he had to wear the pectoral; it didn't matter how hard he protested. The people outside of the palace had to know he was her slave, the Queen said. Gold and blue color were her colors. They would know as soon as they saw it and it would keep him from harm.

"You want them to know me as your harlot," he felt miserable as he said the word 'harlot'.

"No," she looked at him fondly. "You aren't, my love. You are my student. I wouldn't disgrace you by claiming you as my harlot. You can take and practice your lesson to any woman you wish. I won't be angry."

"I want you to be angry when I take another woman."

Godric remembered some women in his village were furious when they found out that their men had taken other women. No Cornovii man would want to see his woman furious for the Cornovii woman was as strong as the man, she would be able to defeat him easily. His mother told him that the women loved their men; it hurt them when their men slept with other women.

He wanted her to feel or to react like the women in his village when or if she found out that he had taken other women. He wanted her at least to feel as if she had been stabbed with a knife, the way he had felt when he thought that he was just another harlot for her.

She laughed. "Oh, dear! How thoughtless I am. We will see whether I will be angry when you take another woman or not. In the meantime, let them call you a harlot, as long as you know that you aren't."

The city of Meröe wasn't as busy or big as Rome, but it was beautiful just the same. The houses, which were built with red bricks, were shining under the sun. The streets were made from sand and small stones, which were mixed with water and hardened. Here and there he saw kiosks – a kind of pavilion, where they could pray to their gods or sit and eat, have a conversation about the matter of the land or their daily lives. The kiosks were built according to Roman fashion, with their tall narrow arched windows. On each pillar was a lion head and on their walls were pictures of the owner, carved flat.

He also saw a picture of a woman everywhere. He recognized the diadem as the Queen's, but not the face. The guards told him it was the picture of the Queen. He had to look at it closely to convince himself that they meant the same person, but failed. The Queen wasn't as big or fat as the pictures, but he didn't want to ask them. They were very respectful in front of the picture; he didn't want to bother them or make them angry by asking questions. Amani was correct; he had to respect the law of the land.

The guards then would take him to the bazaar and see how the dealers traded their merchandise. The kiosks were smaller than the kiosks on the main street, some of them were even made from wood with colorful linen above their heads. It seemed it was built for temporary use and would tumble down as soon as they finished with their trading.

The merchandise was arranged and shown in different manners, as different as the traders themselves. There were some necklace dealers, who wore the necklaces around their necks like warriors bore weapons, the more the merrier. They would tell the passerby how beautiful and precious their necklaces were. The women would stop walking and watch them, some of them were giggling but some were interested in them and would buy them.

On the other side were pottery dealers who told the stories of the pictures on the pottery. Some told stories about the heroes that came from the cities, which were familiar to him, because some stories were similar to what the Greek had told him. He would stop there and listen, until the guards asked him to continue. Food dealers would offer him their goods, as soon as they saw his pectoral and whispered with their sweet voices and asked him to tell the Queen about their food. He would refuse for he didn't have anything to trade, and they would say, "You don't have to pay, Young Master," they bowed and continued, "It's an honor to serve Her Majesty."

The dealers came from many lands, spoke in different tongues, but in this land they spoke Roman, the language of the Kushite or a language that they called 'Egyptian'. It didn't matter how many times he had seen people in different tones of skin or languages, it always fascinated him to know that people were as different as the leaves, even when they all came from the same tree.

And in the days such as those, he saw there were more and more guards marching on the street. The dealers were not as talkative or loud as before when the guards passed by. Even the guards who followed him around didn't talk so much either. They looked worried. He tried to ask the food dealers, but they said he didn't have to be worried, or that it was a routine situation, that the guards marched down the street from time to time. If it was routine, why were they shaken when they told the stories?

Lugh, the Many Skilled, must have sent his raven to whisper in his ears the day he listened to the Greek's advice to continue learning the language. For now he could understand the importance of a language, when people didn't want to tell him anything to him in Roman. Instead they would talk to each other in Kushites. And from their words he caught the news that the Queen of Meröe had ordered them to prepare for war. The Roman army was marching near the border of Napata. They had to prepare themselves to be sent to Napata to defend the city.

"Napata?" the Greek asked him.

"Where is Napata, Teacher?" He had called the Greek 'teacher' since the day he taught him how to write.

"It's far away from here, Young Godfrey. You don't need to worry, everything will be fine."

The Druids had told him the same thing before they painted the spirit of Belenos on his spine. He knew very well what would come afterward.

"From where did you hear all of this, my love?" the Queen asked as they were having a bath in the swimming pool. She was rubbing his back with a kind of dead sea-animal sponge.

"From the people in the bazaar," he murmured. By Aeron, he wanted to be here with her, but even then, the sound of the water, dropping from his body, the sweet smell of essence and the softness of her skin couldn't chase away his own thoughts about the news he had heard.

"Have I not told you not to learn our language?" But her rubbing didn't stop. She wasn't angry, she even kissed his shoulder. "Not everything that the people say should be understood or even noticed."

"Sometimes it's useful to understand what they are saying," he turned around. "I know you don't want me to learn, but I can't stop. I understand them even without learning." Then, he added hastily. "But I never speak in front of them."

She kissed him; softly. When she stopped, he could hear the sound of their lips parting. "I don't want to hear any talk about war tonight," she touched his face with her middle finger. "You are here for me and not for other matters."

"Yes, My Queen." He murmured. He didn't like being treated like a child. He wasn't a child; he wasn't even a boy anymore. He was a man and he knew a lot about war; he had been through some of them before. He knew it wasn't pleasant and always left wounds and death behind, especially for the women and children, who were defenseless. If the war reached Meröe, he wanted to make sure that his woman was safe. But how would he be able to do it, if his woman didn't let him?

"Oh, my love. If only you knew what I had wished for you," she sighed.

"Then tell me."

She touched his lips. "You are my slave; you are not allowed to give me any order."

"But I want to know…" he felt miserable. He wanted to know. He hated hearing the words 'you are my slave' if it wasn't spoken in bed. On the bed, it would only mean that she would teach him something new and he would discover a delightful way of how to treat his woman in the most rightful and loving way. Outside the bed, it meant he didn't have the rights to do or know anything and he had heard it too often from her lately.

"Ssshh, not now, my love. Not now."

From that night on, Godric had learned, 'not now' meant 'never'.

As they were lying down, side by side on the bed, she held him tightly. She didn't say anything, but Godric knew her, maybe not that well, but well enough to know that she was burdened by her thoughts, burdens she didn't want to share with him.

They didn't make love that night. She didn't seem to be aroused by his touch and he wasn't exactly in the mood to do it. If she had wanted it, he would've done it, to please her and to get rid of his own thoughts from the news of war.

He buried his face in her curly hair. He loved its smell and its softness, caressing his skin. It made him feel safe. When he was a child, and he was afraid with something – the sound of thunder or the wind, even the movement of trees in the night, he would hold his mother tight and bury his face in her red hair. If he couldn't sleep, he would play with it until his eyes were weary. His father would get angry every time he saw him doing it, but his mother would protect him from his father's anger. If his father hit him (he tried hard not to cry in front of everybody even when the hitting was very painful), his mother would hold him tight afterward. And when nobody was there anymore, she would rub the pain with her hair. It didn't help much, but he liked the feeling.

She wasn't his mother, but she gave him the sanctuary just the same. He chuckled; of course she wasn't his mother! He wouldn't have even dared to have a thought to do the things he had done with and to her, had she been his mother! The Gods would have cursed him and no worlds, the living or the dead, would accept his spirit. He would have stayed in between, trapped within loneliness until the end of time.

"What are you thinking about, Godric?" Her voice made him lift his face.

"My mother."

"You must miss her a lot."

"I do." He lay flat on his back. His mother…his mother had been killed as his village was attacked. He would never see his mother again.

"Would you go back to your land? I'll give you gold, people and camels to take you there. I will also ask Senator Maximus to give me one of his boats, if your land is beyond the sea."

His stomach sank. "Are you setting me free?" He got up. It was either she didn't want him anymore…or the news about the war was true.

She didn't answer. Her fingers were crawling on his back, softly touching his fire tattoo. "Perhaps," she said in a low voice, "then you will be able to forget the pain you are carrying."

"I don't feel any pain on that part anymore."

Her fingers were reaching the Roman tattoo; instinctively he pulled his body away. "Yes, my love, you do. You will never be free from the pain that the memory of the evil deed of your masters caused you. If you return to your land and be with your mother again or the woman you choose, you'll be able to forget this land and the Romans."

"I will never forget you," he felt more and more miserable. "I will always be your slave."

"Oh, dear. Were you not the one who had been longing for freedom?"

"Yes, until you showed me how to love and how to be loved by a master."

She held him from behind and put her head on his shoulder. "Godric, my love…I may be a queen and own hundreds of slaves, but in front of you, I am the conquered one."

Godric held her hands. He kissed the tip of her nose. "I'll stay here. No ships are able to carry me home anymore. I am home."

Early in the morning, Godric left her room. His head was heavy. He hadn't slept the whole night. He couldn't. He was glad, however, that she could. It had been very late when finally she was able to close her eyes and cuddle him tight. He watched her sleeping until he heard steps and whispering voices from outside. People had started the day.

Outside, the sky was still dark. The air was cold and the hallway that led to his room was quiet. Nobody was around. The torches' flames, that were following the direction of the wind, flickered, creating moving shadows on the wall.

That's when he saw him. A pale man – the palest man he had ever seen, as if Arawen – the King of the Underworld, had kept him for company for a while and now sent him back to the world. He was dressed in a Roman Soldier uniform, standing quietly beside one of the pillars that supported the arched frame of the garden's door. The red feather on his helmet flapped in the wind.

A Roman…in the palace early at dawn…he had to tell her. She had to know that they started to infiltrate her palace.

Their eyes met each other.

Godric moved some steps backward. By Aeron, that Roman had the calmest eyes he'd ever seen! There was no mocking, no panicking and not even happiness. It was as if nothing gave him a fright or surprised him.

He wanted to go to him when a strong and strange smell reached his nose as he was near his room; a mixed smell of beer, mead and something else. He felt his skin crawl. The smell….it reminded him of the woods after the battle, and the rotten blood on the ground before it was washed away by the rain.

He wanted to take his sword when he realized, that he was weaponless; and as he turned to the direction of the Roman, he wasn't there anymore.

Two shadows appeared from the corner. Their walk wasn't steady and they were giggling. They were drunk. As the amber light of the torches touched their faces, Godric recognized one of them as Amani, the Queen's maid chamber.

"Godric…," her face was darkened and her breath was as rotten as a horse's, "come with us, Slave…we will show you how a slave is treated by women…real women…" she giggled again.

"You are drunk." Godric moved some steps back. He didn't want any of those women to touch him.

"Don't be shy, Boy…" their giggle was louder. "We know you're not a boy anymore, but do you know…?"

"You should be with us, Godric…" Amani caught his hand. "We will be able to give you anything you want…including….children…."

"Yes, Godric…your woman…your Queen…" the other woman laughed, "…she's barren…Godric…she will only bring this land down…"

He didn't know what they meant, but he didn't like the sound of their talk. "Go…before I hurt you…" he pulled away his hand, and by doing so, he pushed Amani to the ground. "Go!" he said, but he himself was the one who left. He ran as fast as possible to his room and put the table in front of the door to prevent anybody from coming.

His heart raced faster as he leaned on the door, listening to their steps and laughter going further away. He wasn't afraid of them. There was something in their breath that made his blood cold, something he couldn't explain.

Then, something came to his mind. The Queen. She was in danger…not only that a Roman had managed to enter the palace without being noticed; somebody had made her maid drunk. Danger was nearer than what he had thought. He had to tell the queen. Today.

xxxxx

The Greek's face was troubled as he told him what he had encountered. "Be careful, Young Godfrey," he said. "Something beyond our knowledge has come to the city."

"Do you know anything about it, Teacher?"

That face was getting gloomier. "Yes, a story has been told from a father to his son and his son to his, a story about the destruction of my beloved city, Thebe. How glorious, how beautiful was the young city of Thebe, until Dionysus' priests came and murdered the king." His eyes were watery. "What I can tell you, Young Godfrey, beware of the Faun and his companies. Follow them, you will find the priests. If you do, you have to kill them. Only then, you can save the women."

"Why, Teacher?"

"The deeper those women are in the claws of the priests, the more difficult it would be for them to return to their own dignity and beings. The priests have only one destination, to bring their God to earth." His voice was choked, "God of Destruction and Chaos, God of madness and immorality beyond your imagination."

"I will, Teacher. I will kill the priests, even when I have to spend my whole life looking for them."

"Young Keltoi," the Greek looked at him fondly, "I wish I had your spirit and way of looking at the world."

"You have the wisdom, Teacher," he nodded "and I have the spirit. Together, we will defeat them." Then, he remembered something. The Roman. "I saw him lurking inside the palace. Her Majesty is in danger, Teacher."

"I am afraid, Young Godfrey, the days ahead of us won't be as easy as we wish them to be."

Xxxxx

My fingers buried deep inside his flesh. He looked at them, and then softly took them. "Don't be afraid, Tara. I won't let him get near to you again."

I believed him, I really did. But that horseman – the Faun; had already existed before he was turned…God…how would he defeat him…and he wouldn't be here during the day…what happened if that horseman came during broad day light?

"He won't act so stupidly and blow his cover by coming to you during the day."

"How do you know? You are dead during the day…," oh, shit! "Sorry…,"

"I am dead, Tara. And I am dead, again; if something happens to you during the day,"

I touched his chest; imagining some hair covering his dead white chest and playing with them. I sighed. "I am not in any way possible related to your Queen, am I?"

Suddenly, he got up. "No, you aren't."

Then, why did he act so strange like this?

He got off from the bed, took his shirt and put it on. "I have to go now, Sam really needs me."

"Hey…did I say something wrong?" I put on my t-shirt. "You can't just leave like this! That horseman can come…"

"You don't have to be afraid," he cut me off. "You are safe, for the moment. The faeries will double their guards now that he dares to go out in his form."

"The what?"

"The Faeries - the one who saved you from the Faun is a faery. Don't you know they exist?"

"Heh? The Faeries? Don't tell me they exist…hah, the next thing you will say is that werewolves and shape-sifters exist …. No!" I answered my own question when I saw Godric giving me 'what do you think' look on his face. "Get the fuck out of here!"

Suddenly, he moved back as if somebody was pushing him out of the room…out of my house. "Tara…invite me back..,"

My jaw dropped. I kicked him out…just like that. What I had said was my standard way of saying 'you are joking'.

"Tara…don't do this to me…Tara…I am without trousers!"

For a moment, just for a very naughty moment, I wanted to see him begging me to let him in. It would be fun to watch him standing in front of my door, half naked, begging.

"Tara…you are going to pay for this!" his voice was getting louder. "Wait until I can get you!"

Hah, still playing the big boss with his big mouth!

"Tara!" He grabbed the door frame. "Please…"

"Now you're talking," I grinned. "Godric, will you please come in?"

Like a flash, he grabbed me and pushed me to the wall. "Don't ever do that to me again," he hissed. "You're in danger; don't play with your life!" His eyes were wild and his fangs were out.

"Sorry…it was a joke…" I gave him the trousers.

"That wasn't funny." He let me go and put the trousers on.

I touched his face. "Sorry…" then, I kissed him.

"You have to be careful with your mouth, Tara." His face was pink from anger and possibly lust too. "You can kiss me, suck me or even bite me, but you can't throw me out of your house."

"Oh, I can't, can I?" I smiled.

"Tara, please…don't joke around. I am serious."

Now I could see he was much older than he looked. For a short moment, some lines appeared under his eyes, showing his concern and grief. Grief…for whom? Was he still grieving over his queen or was he grieving over me?

I put my hands on his hips and pulled him softly to me. "Stay here for tonight. Call in sick. I don't want to be alone tonight."

"I can't call in sick and I really have to go," but he didn't move. "I am a vampire. Vampires don't get sick."

"Tell anything to Sam," my hands lifted his shirt and strayed to his ass. He really had a firm ass! That beach guy from the TV reality-show… he could eat his heart out…not that I paid attention to his ass… "Come, Godric…Sookie is in Dallas…I can't call anybody to sleep here…" Well, I could call Jason, but then I was afraid something else might happen.

"Why is she in Dallas?"

"Eric asked her to accompany him to Dallas. Something about an important vampire has gone missing."

"Hmm…" his face was close to mine. The news about Eric didn't seem to awaken his interest. I wondered why he had asked. "I have to go, Tara. This job is important to me."

"You must have a lot of money," I squeezed his ass; he growled. "Not that I am interested in money. I mean, you live forever; you must have stacked some gold somewhere. Just skip this night and sleep over. You did it last night."

"Yes, but Sam isn't in love with me. He will kick me out of his bar as soon as he finds a reason. I think not coming to work will suit him just fine."

"What if he comes again?"

"I can sense you. If you're in danger, I'll come." He touched my neck. His fangs hovered there dangerously.

"Okay, go." I pushed him gently. His words had proven right. I had to trust him.

He kissed me strongly, so hard I could feel his fangs tear my lips. "Ouch, Godric!" I complained. When he lifted his face, there was some blood at the corner of his lips. "My apology," he said. "Your blood is very tempting, Tara. I couldn't resist."

I nodded. "Go," I said again. "Otherwise I'll drag you to bed."

He touched my face, smiling. "Good night, Tara."

Xxxxxx


	12. A Strange Night

**Author's Note: **I can't say thank enough to Northwoman, who has made my story effective and smooth. Thanks, my friend!

* * *

Chapter Twelve

**A Strange Night**

I decided not to go to Callisto's. That road was simply too creepy for me. My hair stood every time I thought about that night. The horseman, the fairy…surely I sounded like fucking Ruby-Jane!

The kitchen at Merlotte's was back to normal. Lafayette had returned. His snarky comments, laughter and the sound of his bangles made the kitchen somehow alive. I noticed his eyes were often fixed on Godric when he came to kitchen with clean dishes and when his eyes met mine he would say, "What?"

Godric himself didn't say much. He would do his job, return to the small kitchen and stay there unless he had to bring the clean dishes back to the big kitchen. Sometimes there was an urge to go to the small kitchen, just to see him. But I knew 'just to see him' didn't work as soon as we were alone together.

When I had my cigarette break, he would either be outside already, or he would quietly stand behind me. One touch, either from him or from me, and we would end up standing at the corner, impatiently kissing each other. Sometimes I was afraid we wouldn't be able to help ourselves and would start boinking each other right there. But my fear was for no reason at all. Godric was gentleman enough not to do it. I admired his self-control in this case.

'Only in your bed,' he said, 'after or before I told my story and never somewhere else.'

Unfortunately, it'd been almost a week that he hadn't told any story.

Not that I was horny or something, but after two nights of almost never ending love making, I thought, he would have reacted differently. There had been some nights I thought I would wear the white long skirt, but only seconds before I left the house, I had opened the skirt and changed it for jeans. No fucking way I would wear that skirt again, and no fucking way Godric would even lay his finger on me when I was wearing it – if, I ever changed my mind about not wearing it. I already had difficulty dealing with the fact he still had feelings for his bitch after two thousand years (TWO THOUSAND YEARS!) I couldn't imagine how I would react if I heard him saying 'Candace' or any other word that sounded similar whilst he was touching me.

"You are fucking horny," said Lafayette, seizing the mojito I had made especially for him: A lot of mint leaves, and a lot of vodka, and I mean, a lot.

"I am not!" I protested.

"You've been eye-fucking that kitchen door for how long…" he looked at his big bright blue watch, "two hours, perhaps?" I opened my mouth, but he continued. "And you are having the face, Hookah!"

"What face?"

"You remember when Sookie and Bill were still together? Sookie watched the door just in case Bill would show up again? Uh-huh, you are having that look now."

Was I?

"Girl, admit it, either he's very good in bed, or you're just fucking horny."

"Who's very good in bed?" suddenly Sam's voice was heard. Behind him was Godric.

Both Lafayette and I avoided having contact with Godric.

"Nobody," I said.

Lafayette snorted, at the same time.

From the corner of my eyes, I could see Godric's eyes forming a smile, but only for a moment, because when I shot a look at him, his face was back to normal, gentle and soft. Damn you! I cursed him. I wouldn't trust that gentle and soft face again. It's like a standard mode. He always looks like that. Not because he was gentle and soft, but because it was his mask to cover whatever feelings he had inside. _Oh, damn you, Godric!_ Now I even considered him as having feelings!

"Tara, can I talk to you just for a sec?"

There was almost never a time when I considered Andy Bellefleur as a hero, but at this very moment, he was a hero to me. Even his broken voice, which normally annoyed the hell out of me, now sounded like a heavenly bell. "Sure," I said, leaving the bar.

Andy opened his mouth, as if he wanted to say 'here', but too late, I had already led him away. I couldn't stand being stared at by Sam and Godric. Sam was obviously curious about the conversation between Lafayette and me. I didn't know why Godric was staring at me, but hey, he had no reason at all to be surprised! He knew what awaited him, and still he didn't come. _Oh, fuck! I am horny!_

"What do you want?" I heard Lafayette asking somebody.

I didn't know who answered the question because the answer was swallowed by the loudness of cheers from the corner. Jason had managed to put the last beer bottle on the top.

"Morons!" Andy murmured. "They really should look for other games than emptying bottles of beer!"

"I couldn't agree more, Detective."

We sat on an empty table a bit far from Jason and his friends.

Arlene came and asked him if he wanted to order something, and I said, "The usual, Arlene; on me."

"Thanks, Tara," Andy said. "But I am on duty now, I can't take gifts. Maybe next time."

Whatever people said about Andy, I had to admire his professionalism.

"But you have to order something, Detective. You can't sit here talking."

"All right, the usual." Andy looked annoyed.

"Sorry, Andy. Just doing my job." Arlene left us with sour face. Something must have gone wrong again at her house. She had two children from two different men. Her last boyfriend, Rene, was a serial killer, who had almost killed Sookie.

"What do you want to talk about, Detective?" I asked.

"Can you remember something from the accident yet?"

I shook my head. "No, sorry."

"Your case is really difficult, Tara." Andy's small eyes were getting smaller. His chubby cheeks looked as if they could blow at any minute as he took a deep breath. "There is no other trace in that car except yours and Sam's. Sam said he was at his trailer when it happened. He had lent you the car because you looked very serious, still you didn't tell him where you wanted to go or what you were going to do."

Something was wrong. It couldn't be that there was no other trace, but mine and Sam's. I remembered seeing a shadow in the mirror. Somebody had been in the car with me that night!

"You remember something," Andy looked at me. "Please, Tara. Anything, anything at all. It might be not important for you, but who knows? You know what I mean?"

Not exactly, but I said, "Yes." I felt sorry for him. He really worked hard, possibly the best he could to solve the case.

"Well, maybe the next time," he tried to smile.

I decided to ask him. I had to know if I had seen a horseman, or a man chasing a woman or had it only been my imagination.

"Is there anything else, Detective?" I bent my head a little bit. "When I was in the ambulance…," I tried to look as serious as possible. My legs, on the other hand, were shaking due to the nervous feelings that grabbed me. "The paramedics talked about another victim…"

"They what?"

Before I could answer, Arlene came with Andy's order. "Tara," she put the plates on the table. The burgers were a little bit bigger tonight. And Jesus! How many kilos of french fries that Lafayette had fried? "Lafayette wants you to know he's taking care the bar now," she was annoyed. Her voice couldn't hide her feeling any longer. She didn't like the idea I was sitting there, entertaining Detective Bellefleur, whilst she was running around doing her job.

I turned to the bar, and saw Lafayette's purple bandana. He wanted me to get information from Andy as much as possible, that's why he had given Andy this giant portion. I nodded. "Thanks, Arlene."

She sniffed and left.

"They what?" Andy repeated the question. "They may not do that!"

"I know," I said. "Perhaps they thought I was unconscious?" God, who's this person that possessed me?

"I can't tell you that, Tara. It's confidential."

"Please, Andy." I grabbed his hand. I definitely had been spending too much time with Callisto. "I have to know. Did I kill somebody? Was there somebody else?" I took my hand and tried the best I could to imitate a soap opera actress. "I am…my heart is aching just thinking about it…" jeez, what a lousy line. If I was the director, I would fire whoever wrote the sentence. "I am not weak, you know that don't you, my Detective?" My Detective? Jesus! That's worse than the soap opera line!

"Well…" Andy touched his nose.

_God, let him be one of those who like watching soap operas!_ I wiped off my non-existing tears.

"This is only between you and me, all right Tara? Don't tell anybody else."

I nodded.

"There was somebody else, a woman. She was raped and killed…." His face was close to mine. "…possibly a vampire is involved."

I pulled my body away. A vampire?

Andy looked around. "On her neck," he touched his collar and looked at my neck, as if he wanted to see something and looked relieved when he didn't find any. "Two stitches were found. The stitches were fresh…,"

"If they were fresh, why we didn't hear anything about it?"

"We don't want to cause any panic, Tara." He looked around again. "Besides, your case is more important than the murder of a fangbanger."

A fangbanger was what we called those who had given their blood to vampires in exchange for sex or money. I was one of them now.

"Are you sure she was a fangbanger?"

"Vampires might be sadistic or vicious, but they are not stupid. They won't rape and leave their victims on the road like that!"

Yeah, somehow I agreed with him. "I heard there are dogs that can find vampires' traces…" I said. I read somewhere in a newspaper, that the police departments were training dogs to track vampires' traces. They used dogs which were normally they used to find dead bodies. I wondered if the dogs could do that.

"Only in big cities, Tara. Do you think they will send that expensive dogs to find a murderer in a small town like Bon Temps?"

"Shreveport isn't exactly small."

"Yeah, but the body was found in Bon Temps' jurisdiction, if you know what I mean."

"Yeah, I know. It means they don't give a shit about it." I got up. "Thanks, Andy. You've been very helpful."

"Jeez, Tara. You're different tonight. New boyfriend?"

What?

"Sorry," Andy pulled the plate to him. "You're always nice when you're having a boy-friend. I hope it will last a long…" his sentence stopped when our eyes met. "Sorry…"

Was it that obvious? Really?

I returned to the bar. Lafayette looked at me with his wide opened eyes. "So?"

"So," I pushed him a bit to the side. "I wasn't hallucinating."

"Oh-oh, Girl. That is a fucking shit."

Yeah, that was a fucking shit. If I hadn't been hallucinating, it meant that horseman had been real and he was after me. Godric hadn't lied. I sat down. My legs were too weak to support my body any longer. And who had been the vampire, who might or might not have been there?

Without being able to stop myself, I looked at the hallway which led to the small kitchen. Godric. Godric had been there. He must have known if there had been another vampire there or not. He had to tell me!

I forced myself to get up.

"Where are you going?" asked Lafayette.

"Go…"

"Good evening, Tara," A melodious voice stopped my sentence. Callisto. She was dressed up in a fresh green sleeveless gown, showing her snow white skin. Her jet black hair was left free. Her lips were bright red and her brown eyes were sparkling.

I looked around and realized the restaurant was quiet. Dead quiet. Every pair of eyes in the room was staring at her. Even Lafayette's. No wonder, Callisto was truly a beautiful and elegant woman.

"Can you wait just for a sec?" I said. "I really have to go somewhere."

"Take your time, Tara." She smiled sweetly.

Suddenly I realized how stupid I was. I really had no real reason not to go to her place. I could avoid going home too late. And if Godric was right, the horseman wouldn't go out in the day time.

"Really, Callisto, just for a sec."

Then, I ran to the small kitchen. I wanted to tell Godric to wait for me when he finished with his work. But the small kitchen was empty. The dish-washer was running, even the sink, where he washed the big pots or pans, was full of hot water. But that damn vampire was not there. Where the hell was he?

I turned around and went to the main kitchen. He wasn't there either. I went outside where he normally stood around. He wasn't there. Where was he?

I sighed. "Godric, I need to talk to you," I murmured. "I miss you, Babe." Without being able to stop myself, those words came out from my mouth. Well, what shall! I did miss him. Once in a life time being honest wouldn't hurt anybody.

I went back inside. I was surprised by the sounds of cheerful conversation and loud laughs. Somehow, people were having a good time. Soon I found out why, as I saw Callisto giving away her cards.

"I really would love to see you all in my house, at my party." Her voice was ringing sweetly. "You won't be sorry."

"Jeez, thank you so very much, Ms. Lyssa," Imogene Miller's voice reached my ear. How the fuck did she know Callisto was here? She must have planted a bug somewhere in this restaurant. "Nobody ever invited us before."

"And you wonder why…" Lafayette hissed in my ear.

"Uh-huh," I agreed with him.

Callisto took her in her arm. "Imogene…I may call you that, may I not?"

Imogene nodded.

"Why wouldn't I invite you? A woman like you, who is aware and sincerely cares about her people, the place where she lives, must be given a chance to tell everybody what she exactly thinks."

"They have a new definition for gossip nowadays?" I whispered in Lafayette's ear.

"Sounds like it, Girl."

Imogene was suddenly crying. "Callisto…I…." she hugged Callisto. "That's very touching…,"

"My dear Imogene…," Callisto kissed her forehead. Both Lafayette and I cringed. Holy Cow! That forehead was covered by ton of powder. I hoped Callisto washed her lips before she kissed my cheek. "You belong to me, to my circle."

Imogene cried louder. Her sister, Savannah, who seemed not to be able to separate herself from her sister, was crying too. She came to Callisto and hugged her.

I believed I was having a fucking nightmare. In the same circle with the Miller Sisters….what was Sookie going to say?

My best friend's face flashed in front of my eyes. Exactly at that moment, Callisto turned her face to me and smiled. And at that very moment, her eyes turned to black with red lights in them. God, no! Not that look again!

"Tara, are you all right, Hookah?" Lafayette grabbed my arms. "You look… God, Tara. You look like my mother!"

I looked at him. "Laffy…I…"

"Tara, come dance with us!"

I turned to Callisto, and saw her dancing with one of Jason's friends. Jason was standing not far from her, drinking his beer. I must have been dreaming, but I saw Jason watching them disinterestedly. Jason? Wow, I am definitely having a nightmare!

The night went quickly. The booze ran faster than my mother's liquor stock. Either people were having a real party, or it was just one of these lucky days for the Merlotte's. I had to move faster to refill the glasses, or to mix something new.

Arlene ran around like a hen looking for her head. Now and then she screamed, "Coming!" Or, "Lafayette…they are waiting…"

It was after midnight when slowly the atmosphere in the restaurant was calming down. Callisto said goodbye and asked me to come to her house, or at least call. "We need to continue the session, Tara." She smiled. "If you don't come because Sat isn't here…"

"No, no," I cut off her sentence, but how to tell somebody that you see strange stuff on the way to their house? "I'll come."

The Miller sisters went with her. They were completely drunk; Callisto had to take them by the hand so that they could walk and find the door. Jason had to push his friends out of the restaurant so that they stopped harassing Arlene. The other guests were told to leave by Andy, who deliberately stayed. "Just in case, you know," he told me.

This had been one strange night!

As I closed the cash register, I realized I hadn't seen either Sam or Godric the whole night. Sam had possibly buried himself in his office again, but where had Godric been? Big John must have needed all those dishes and I hadn't seen him running from big kitchen to the small ones. Who had brought the dishes from and to the main kitchen?

The abandoned garden behind Merlotte's looked incredibly creepy in the night. The blurred yellow street lights at the corner didn't help much. It even created shadows from the trees, and with my wild imagination, they definitely looked like big creatures.

Jeez, I really hated vampires. They should've stayed in their coffins, so that I didn't have to look around my shoulder and wonder if one of them was lurking somewhere in the darkness looking for food or not. Okay, okay that was a nasty prejudice. But I wasn't a naïve idiot who believed all of them drank only from True Blood like that cold looking bitch from League of American Vampires on TV said.

Bill had drunk from Sookie and Godric drank from me. I believed other vampire-human couples did exactly the same.

I took out my car key and went to put it in the key hole, when I caught a glimpse of a white shadow on the mirror. "Jesus, Godric!" I screamed. "You want to kill me, or what?"

"My apology," he said. "I want to ask if you can take me to the junction of the Beauvoir road or not."

I wondered about the tone of his voice and wanted to ask what the hell he was playing, when I saw Big John and the others leaving the kitchen. "Good night, Tara, Godric…" Big John waved.

I waved back and said good night too. "Hop in."

Without waiting for a second longer, I drove the car away from Merlotte's parking lot as soon as he buckled in.

"Where were you the whole night?" I asked.

"Here and there."

"Really?" I rolled my eyes. "You know, Godric, if you don't want to answer, just don't do it. Don't give me the feeling as if I am wasting my time talking to you."

"You're angry again."

"Of course I am angry! What the fuck do you think?"

Godric looked away. "My apology."

"Oh, stop with your 'my apology' shits!" I yelled. Oh, shit! Why did I have to be so enraged like this? It made me sound like a woman, who got desperate because she hadn't gotten laid for a while. "Sorry…" I said. "I don't mean it…I mean, hey, you and I are not tied, are we? We didn't promise each other anything…"

"Stop the car."

"What?"

"Stop the car."

Here we go again! He ordered me around as if he had every right to do so. But if he wanted, he could leave the car at any second. Be my guess. I stopped the car. Who needed a man who came and went as he pleased any way?

He opened his seat belt and when I thought he would jump out of the car, he kissed me. He grabbed my neck and kissed me. His cold tongue searched wildly for my tongue and sucked it. For a moment, I tried to fight him, but then, ignoring what my head said, that somebody might see us, that I should've acted a bit hard to get, that I should've kicked his sorry ass out of the car, I held his shoulder and kissed him back.

After a while, he released me from his attack and buckled himself again. "Satisfied?" he looked at me from the corner of his eyes.

My mouth opened, but I couldn't say anything.

"Now, drive."

I wanted to protest, but I couldn't find any words. His kiss was like fire burning every inch of my body and empting my brain as well.

"Where were you?" I asked again, after I managed to regain my self control.

"I don't like parties," he said. "I choose to go away if the situation is getting out of control like tonight."

"They were having fun, that's all."

"Were they? Doomed is a city where its people can only get excitement from alcohol."

"Don't you ever get drunk?" I looked at him and felt stupid. Of course not. He's a vampire…why did I keep forgetting that?

"I did, once."

"Ah…and why?"

Godric looked at the dark road in front of us. His gentle face looked hard. He was remembering something, and it seemed he didn't have the mood to tell me. Something was bothering him, I could see it clearly. His pale gray eyes moved restlessly. As far as I knew him, he always looked calm – as if nothing could touch him, but not tonight. What happened?

"Why were you looking for me?"

Obviously, Godric wasn't planning to tell me anything. I sighed. His voice sounded stern.

"There's a new development in the case, Godric. Detective Bellefleur said there is a _possibility_ that a vampire is involved." I emphasized the word 'possibility', but it seemed it didn't impress him either. "Do you know anything about it?"

He didn't answer.

_He knew._

"Detective Bellefleur didn't believe that the vampire – whoever he is, raped her or anything, it's just he asked me if I saw anything at all," I lied. Jeez, why did I lie so easily tonight? "And I can't say you were there."

"Why not?"

I asked myself the same question. I looked at him. His white face now looked gentle. God, Godric! When was he going to show other expression than that one? Would it be only in the bed when he was making love to me, or when he was remembering his fucking queen? I sighed. This wasn't going to be easy.

He smiled. "Thank you," he said.

"For what?"

"That you care."

Did I? I smiled. Well, maybe I did.

The car passed by the junction that led to Beauvoir road, but Godric didn't ask me to stop the car. I didn't ask him either. He didn't say anything either as the car stopped in front of my house.

"Tara, my baby!"

The familiar, most hated voice welcomed me. My mother. She was standing in front of the door, dressed up like somebody had died. All in black, with a hat and white gloves with lace. Her shoes were as shiny as her bright lips.

"I've been waiting for you, Sweetheart."

"What are you doing here?"

"That's not the way to welcome your mother."

"This is your mother?" Godric looked at her.

"Yeah, this is my mother."

Both of them looked at each other. I expected a curse or an attack against Godric, but I was wrong.

"And who is this nice young gentleman?"

She must be drunk again.

Godric walked toward her, he looked at her once again, and then he said, "Nice to see you, Ma'am." But he neither reached out his hand nor smiled.

My mother nodded.

"What are you doing here?"

"Don't you want to invite me in? I believe your friend here wants to be invited too."

Oh, I want to invite Godric in, definitely, but not you, Mother!

"Oh, I see. All right," she raised her head a bit higher, a habit I hated so much. It's a gesture that she always used when she wanted to blame me for the things that happened, as if I had wanted it that way! "I am staying at La Vie Hotel, if you're looking for me." Then, she walked away.

I looked at her and then looked at Godric. I wanted Godric to say something, anything. But it was useless; he just stood there in silence until her figure was gone.

"Shall we go in?" he said.

"My mother…," I looked at her direction. "I can't let her go to the hotel alone. Not in the middle of the night like this…with the horseman running loose somewhere…"

Godric caught my hand. "Tara, they're after you. They will use anything, anybody to get you. Listen to me, my child. Come inside with me, I can protect you better there."

"My mother…I will never forget myself if something happens to her…" I walked away from Godric. "At least, I can take her to the hotel."

'Click', Godric bared his fangs. "Drink some of my blood. I can sense my blood isn't that strong anymore." Then, csss, he bored his own wrist.

"No fucking…."

Godric stopped me with his kiss. The blood that had been in his mouth was now in mine. "Once, just once, you stubborn woman, listen to what I say," he hissed. "I don't want to hurt you; I want to help you."

I wiped off the blood from my mouth. "Why? Why do you want to help me? Because I remind you of your queen?"

"No." He looked at me with flickering lights in his eyes. "It's because you're a human. You can be harmed easily!"

Why did I have a feeling it had happened to him before?

"So please, Tara. Drink my blood. It won't do any good if they can get both of you."

Now, there was a better argument. I came to him and sucked his open wrist. I heard him gasping and when I looked at him, I realized he was turned on. He kissed me passionately as soon as I finished drinking. "Go, save your mother. Then return to me. I'll be waiting for you."

"You aren't coming with me? He could be anywhere and attack me."

"Not with my fresh blood in your body. Go, Tara. Don't waste our time!"

Xxxxxx


	13. Time of Uncertainty

**Author's Note: **Happy Belated Thanksgiving everybody! I enjoyed writing this chapter, I hope you'll find it amusing too.

* * *

Chapter Thirteen

**Time of Uncertainty  
**

My mother is a cunt.

No, don't misunderstand me, I love her as much as a daughter can love a drunkard abusing slut like her, but she is really a cunt.

Since I was a child, she has done nothing but given me one disappointment after the other. If I have to remember how many times she came to my school for me – to see me singing or dancing or even taking the annual report book, I know right away: five times. And in those five times, the Bon Temps Elementary and Middle School had the best days of their lives. Because my mother would come drunk as a skunk and make a spectacle that probably would be remembered till the end of their existence.

I don't know who my father is and I can understand why the bastard ran away from her. Seriously. She never cleaned up, cooked or washed the clothes. I have done all of those things since the time I was able. The social services money we received from the government always ended up in the bottom of Honorable Mr. Jack Daniels' ground. I always had to ask Gran to pay for the bills; otherwise the electric company would cut off the power. We didn't have a telephone, and television was a temporary member of family, until Jack Daniels stood again on the table.

Then the men came. Yes, the men. Even as stinking and drunk as she was, my mother was always able to find a man and bring him home. I didn't mind, as long as they didn't enter my room. When I reached my fifteenth birthday, I had lost count of how many men had come and gone into our lives. And one day, when one of them tried to break down my door in the middle of the night, Gran took over the responsibility of raising me completely. She bought the house for me and kicked my mother out of the house.

Now I ask myself, why the fuck do I still worry about her safety?

"You love her," Godric's hand was busy twisting and twirling my hair. "We do many unthinkable things for the people we love."

I looked up. His eyes were closed. I couldn't guess if he meant my relationship with my mother or his relationship with his queen. Fuck the queen! I am here now, alive and in his arms, receiving all his attention and care, if not love. I cuddled him.

We had just made love and he made love to me like there would be no tomorrow. He had been strong, impatient and a little bit rough. He had pushed me to the wall and couldn't wait until we reached the bed. We had done it there, on the door of my bedroom and some minutes later on the floor. As we managed to reach the bed, he took me from behind and didn't give me a chance to catch my breath. I had to grab the sheet tightly, for I had a feeling that my body was going to burst when he entered me.

But I hadn't complained then, and I wasn't going to complain now. It felt so good to be wanted the way he wanted me! To feel his claws and fangs everywhere, to hear his gasping and moaning, to feel the weight of his body on me as he lost his power (He wasn't as heavy as I had thought) and to see his satisfied and content face was worth all the waiting time and the pain I had felt. I knew, I would have bite marks again tomorrow, but who cared?

The last seven days must have been a torture for him, but if he was going to make love to me afterwards the way he had made love to me tonight, he could stay being tortured a little bit longer.

"Where have you been in the last week, Godric?" I decided to ask him.

"I had some business to take care of."

Really? I rolled my eyes. "Honestly, Godric. You don't have to play mysterious like that. You told me stories about your life as human; certainly you have no reason to hide anything else from me, do you?"

His eyes opened. "I've been searching for the Faun. I have to know where the priest is."

"And?"

"He's gone. The priest knows that I know." Now his hand was on my breast, playing with my nipple.

"Godric…I am serious…" I complained as I felt the lust start coming back to me. I wanted to hear what he had done whilst he had been away from me….I sighed…God, if he continued doing this to me, as much as I enjoyed it, I could start forgetting my job at Merlotte's…

"So am I," Godric smiled when he heard me sighing. His hands were running down to my stomach. "Didn't you say you missed me?"

"What? You heard me!" I pushed him. This was not fair! He had heard me; and instead of answering me, he had just sat there and felt satisfied about himself! He had to be punished. I got up, sat on him and pinned him to the bed. Then, I tickled him.

To my surprised, he laughed. I never thought that he would be very sensitive under his underarms. He tried to get me off, but I didn't let him escape from me so easily. Finally he decided to fight back and tickled me.

For a moment, we were like little children. We rolled ourselves down and tickled each other in our nakedness – mostly I was the one who did the tickling. Godric's face started to get pink as he laughed louder and he couldn't fight back. I never thought vampires could be sensitive like this. I thought their skin was somehow dead since there was no blood being pumped to its cells. Yeah, yeah… I read books about health and biology too. Gran said I really should think about going to college and become a doctor or something like that. My brain shouldn't have been wasted in one supermarket after the other.

"Stop it," he spread his arms after a while. His face was changing to red. I believed, if he could breathe, he would be out of breath right now. "I give up. You win. I confess. I heard you. I was on a tree branch, watching the restaurant. Didn't you think it was strange to see people get loose like that?"

"Tell me about it," I laid on him and stroked his wavy hair. "I felt like I was in a fucking nightmare. I mean, I will be in the same circle with the Miller Sisters…Jesus!"

He held my hips. "Whatever you do during the day, Tara, please learn to control your emotion. Anger won't solve any problems."

Hearing such an advice, which was spoken from a mouth of a boy with a gentleness of an old man, was somehow strange…weird…creepy. I wanted to roll myself down, but he stopped me.

"I knew a woman long time ago. She told me to fight such creatures that got their power from lust and anger; I had to be able to control my emotion, especially anger." He touched my hair. "These days, your emotion, your anger, your…lust take over my control and paralyze me."

"Godric…" I teased him. "Are you telling me that you're in love with me?"

"No," he played with my hair again. "I am telling you that you're poisoning me. If you continue doing this to me, I am afraid I can't protect you."

"I don't want to be protected by you. I want you to teach me how to protect myself," I put my head on his shoulder. I prayed to God and any saints I believed in that I didn't sound desperate when I said, "I want you to be here with me. Or at least that you are present in some ways."

"You found me, my child. You will find me again."

I sighed. "Your eyes, Godric. I recognized you from your eyes. But if I don't see you, how will I know that you're there?"

He lifted my face. His pale gray eyes looked warm and tender. "You are a special person, Tara. You will find me again and I will find you, it doesn't matter if you and I are separated in time and space. You are a part of me now; you might as well learn that part to protect yourself." His face was brightened. "I have lived this long to have these feelings again, to feel helpless in front of a woman…Tara, I will do anything in my power to make myself present with you."

I kissed his square jaws. _He is in love with me; he just says it in a different way._ "Are you sure you were a warrior and not a poet? I've never heard Eric say such words." Not directly, at least, Sookie never told me that.

"I am." He stopped playing with my hair. "Eric isn't attracted to you; he won't use his wits and charm to get your attention."

I laughed. That was a nice way to describe 'trying to get inside your pants'. Godric must respect Eric or worse, admire him.

"Sleep, my child. You will need your power tomorrow."

"Godric…do me a favour." I lay my head on his shoulder again.

"Yes, Tara?"

"Stop calling me 'my child'! I feel like I am fucking a priest."

"I am not a priest and we are not fucking, at least not from my side."

_He is in love with me. _I smiled. "Good to know,"

"Even if I was a priest, we wouldn't be fucking either – making love, yes; having sex, definitely, but fucking, no. I fucked only whores; and you are not."

His voice was music to my ears. I cuddled him.

"Besides, you know that in my belief, as a Druid I would be allowed to have a wife or two…"

"Yeah, yeah…" I cut him off. Two wives…hah, he wished! "Big mouth! Put up with me first, then you can start thinking about the second one."

He chuckled. "Now, sleep, Darling." He kissed my forehead. "I am afraid; your days to come won't be getting easier."

Xxxxx

Like I said, my mother the cunt.

Two days back in the town, her name already became the main topic at Merlotte's. She really knew how to be the center of attention. This time it wasn't because of her stinking breath and red eyes, or her loud noise cursing me in the middle of the street because I was too late cooking or washing clothes; no, this time it was because she was back again in Bon Temps, staying at a hotel, and being friendly to everybody.

I should've been happy. She had become what I had wanted. She didn't give a single comment about Godric, she didn't say anything about my job at Merlotte's, in fact, she didn't say anything if I didn't ask her. She listened. That was something new about her, but again, had I not always wished that once a while, she would listen to what I said?

Callisto smiled widely when I told her that my mother was back in town and different. "Isn't it wonderful, Tara? Maybe she has come to her senses and realized you are the most important thing in her life?"

"Yeah, but wasn't it around two weeks ago she called me? Is it possible that a latent alcoholic like her gets sober in fourteen days?"

"Tara, my dear. A mind is a powerful weapon. If you really want something, and your mind sets to it, nothing is impossible."

"Nah, I know my mother. She's up to something."

"It's not good to get suspicious about your own parents, Tara; especially, when they try hard to prove in front of us that they are able to change."

"You're sure about this?"

Callisto hit the side of the sofa and asked me to sit beside her. She wrapped her arms around me and pulled me close into her arms. "I try to have positive thoughts about most things because I believe if I have positive thoughts about things, or people, I will gain positive energy, and in return, people will feel my positive energy and they start thinking positively about me too. In your case, Tara; you need that positive energy to help your mind open, so you can remember what happened that night."

"I am not sure if I want to remember what happened that night, Callisto."

"Why is that?"

I sighed. "I saw strange things."

"Go on."

I looked at her. Her brown eyes shone brightly, I felt like I was looking into a kind of light source and that light source sucked me right into it. I sighed. She's so beautiful, warm hearted and unearthly…if only she had been my…

_Whatever you do, Tara, just be careful._

Suddenly, Godric's voice rang in my head. I shook my head…ah, Godric! Why couldn't I be free from him? This was ridiculous!

"What's the matter, Tara?"

Callisto's voice made me look into her eyes again. Now she looked somehow….normal. Yes, she still looked beautiful, but those eyes weren't as bright as before.

"Well…you know, the things I saw that night…if I tell somebody, they will think I am nuts." That wasn't true. Godric took me seriously, more seriously than before. _Ah, shit! Godric this, Godric that. I am the one who's in love, not the other way around!_

"Tara…I am not everybody," Callisto stroked my hair. "You can tell me about anything and I will not judge you."

I straightened myself. "It's like doctor-patient confidentiality, right?"

Callisto smiled and her eyes twinkled, but she said, "Something like that."

I told Callisto what happened. This time, I told her everything. The horseman, the shimmering woman and Godric (but I didn't mention his name). I even told her what had happened the other day, when I returned from her place.

"I am afraid I will end up like my aunt, Callisto. I mean, all those things are real, aren't they? There are beings like 'Faun' of 'Faeries', right? Vampires exist, although all this time we didn't believe that they do. So, the possibility they exist is big, isn't it? Please tell me it is, otherwise I can't stand the thought that I am out of my mind!"

Callisto took my hand. "Oh my god, you're shaken!" she pressed the hand. "I'll ask Bass to make you a hot tea,"

She called Bass and asked him to make the tea. Then, she returned to me. This time, her eyes were hard. "I won't lie to you, Tara," she said. "I believe you are under greater shock than I thought you were. And to be honest, hanging around with a vampire won't help your case either," she added hastily. "Hey, I like the fact that vampires exist as much as the next person, but there are border lines that should be drawn, and I think, in your case, to be with a vampire isn't an option.

"First, he was there when you were involved in an accident. Are you sure he was there after the accident or had he been there before the accident? What if he had been lurking the whole time and only waited for the right moment to get you? I am not saying he was the one who caused the accident, but he's a vampire…anything could happen, right?

"Second, I hope Sat told you, the tea could cause you dizziness or nausea or both (I nodded). The explanation I can give you for the moment is that you're the one who was responsible for what happened to your living room. Don't get panicked, it's a normal reaction, which will get weaker over time. Of course, during the process, you didn't remember what happened, including inviting the vampire to come inside your house. Did he tell you why he cleaned your body? Did he force you to throw up, or did you actually do it yourself, because like I told you, the tea could cause nausea.

"Third, I told you, Tara. A mind is a powerful weapon. As you left my house, it was dark already. The alley to my house isn't exactly a bright and happy place and the trees are too thick and big, it could make us see things. Sweetie, we all have some imagination, which sometimes runs wild. In your case, it was horseman and shimmering people, because you have heard those stories before. You were angry with the vampire and your aunt has told you several times about the shimmering people. Your feelings were mixed up and in such condition; any imagination would take control over our mind."

I sighed. Her explanation made sense.

"I can only suggest you to be careful. Vampires are not exactly well-known for their honesty."

She could say that again. Bill had lied to Sookie, God knows what Eric was capable of, and Godric hid something from me.

"Of course," she smiled. "They have been great lovers too, since they have strength, but would they understand our longing for children, our fears of growing old?"

Godric understood that. He even said it to me, not the children part, but the growing old part.

"What I am saying, Tara, is think about it. Don't let yourself be influenced by him too much. Use your common sense. I won't say you should be together or break up your relationship with him; I just want you to consider one thing: your health. Will he help you or will he only cause you more problems? Take your time, and then decide. In the meantime, you visit me and we talk about finding solution to make you remember the night of the accident."

Her words rang in my head long after I was back at home. What, if everything she had said was true. What, if Godric had lied all the time? What, if Godric actually knew what happened the night of the accident?

But, could he lie about his past? About his love to his queen? Could it be he had been pretending when he made love to me? His body didn't lie, or at least, I hoped not. He had been horny most of the time he was with me or was he a master of pulse or muscles, who could order his cock to go up and down as he wanted? Ah, nonsense! No man was able to do that…but then again, he wasn't a man. He wasn't a human at all!

My feelings must have been written all over my face. The people at Merlotte's talked to me carefully and I realized they were avoiding me. The ones who came to order some drinks spoke their order in low voices, as if they were afraid to do it.

The Miller sisters were already there. Not like normally, they didn't order the cheapest drinks available, they had ordered a bottle of wine. "The best one you have, Tara. We are celebrating."

They had definitely got laid.

Godric was only a step away from me, when we had our normal break. The weak yellow lamps at the corner couldn't hide his paleness and the hardness in his eyes. The moon that was hanging lazily above the trees didn't give much help either.

The moon, which in some days would have her full face, started causing us problems – well, at least that what Lafayette believed in. He believed Sam's bad temperament had something to do with the moon. In the evenings, Sam had locked himself in his office most of the time. It was almost impossible to talk to him without him yelling at us. In the day time, it was difficult to catch his tail, so to speak. He was never in his trailer. We thought he would be there, since the stray dog that he picked up, a nice collie – white and brown collie with lovely eyes; was there. No, he wasn't there. There were groceries to buy, alcohol stock to refill, but the boss was hard to find. If it continued like this, Sam could forget his business.

"You smell like the woods again," Godric hissed. "Didn't I tell you to be careful?"

I snorted. Yeah, yeah, I heard that. Two different people had said that, and each of them warning me to be careful against the other. Slowly I had a feeling both of them knew the other and they had a kind of feud that had been going on forever.

"Godric, stop ordering me around. You aren't my father, you aren't my man either. So, just stop. Start learning to respect me or you can get the fuck out of my life!"

His eyes got smaller.

"Oh, don't act as if you were offended," I threw my cigarette on the ground and smashed it with my foot. "Tara don't do this, Tara don't do that. That's all what I heard from you."

"So what do you want to hear, Tara?"

"How can I be sure that you are not lying to me? Can you tell me that?"

"I can't," he moved some steps backward. "You have to find it out yourself."

"And how?"

"By adding all the facts together, by listening to your body, your mind,"

If I listened to my body, I would drag him to the bushes over there, right now because I felt my lust start crawling on my skin. But that's the last thing that should happen now.

"Everything is so confusing, Godric. I want to remember what happened to me that night. You know something about it, tell me you do, please, Godric?"

He walked towards me. Softly he touched my hair. His eyes were warmer. He looked as if he almost pitied me. "I know those who might get involved, but I am being honest to you, my child, I didn't see what happened and I can't say that I know how it happened."

I held him. God, how I wanted to believe what he said!

"You are a special person, Tara. Don't let anybody else tell you otherwise. You are strong; you will find a way to go back to that night." He released me. "Trust yourself and your instinct, Tara. I can only help you as much as you are willing to help yourself."

I wished my mother had ever talked like that to me. I wished Sookie had ever said that to me. I wished anybody else would say that to me and not this damn fucking vampire. It made it hard for me to see him objectively.

I looked at him. His pale gray eyes looked back at me tenderly. As his face was getting closer, I didn't hesitate to kiss him anymore. God, I wanted him! He might have been lying to me…I would find out the truth, eventually. In the meantime, I wanted to enjoy all the intention that he gave me.

Somebody cleared his throat.

Godric and I broke up our kissing.

Andy was standing there, looking a bit nervous. "Sorry, folks; didn't mean to interrupt anything."

Godric looked at Andy and said in his low voice, "Good evening, Detective Bellefleur…"

"No," I stopped him.

Godric looked at me, surprised. "You're sure?"

I kissed him. "I am."

I might regret it later, but I realized, I couldn't play hide and seek forever. I also realized, to know whether Godric had told me the truth or not, I had to start living in truth too. I couldn't go on pretending that nothing had happened between Godric and me. Sooner or later people would find out about it, and I wasn't sure if I could take the words whispered behind my back so easily.

"Ehm…I ... I…actually want to tell you about the accident…" Andy scratched his head. The other hand that was holding his hat was trembling. "But if you're..." he cleared his throat. "…busy, I can come back later."

"No, no," I pushed Godric a little bit aside and stood in front of him. "You can say it in front of Godric too, Detectvie."

He was more and more nervous. "I told you about the…" he cleared his throat again, "..v…vampire…that might have been present during the accident…"

"Yes?"

He looked at Godric. "It was you, Godric…or at least the shoeprint that we found…it matched with your shoes…,"

xxxxx


	14. At the Old Cemetery

**Author's note: **I use two ways of counting the 'nights' in a year. One is what they call** "Tree Calendar"** (which I believe is used by those who believe in neo-paganism); and the other is the way it's written on **the Celtic Calendar which was found in Coligny**, French. It's a pure fantasy, for until now, no archeological findings suggest how the Celt counted their nights except the one which was found in Coligny and one or two other places. I think it's fun to play with my/our imagination with those facts.

I change Godric's age because I want to adjust him to the time when the war between the Kushites and the Romans took place, which was around 30 - 24 BCE. I hope you don't mind. How old is Godric!TB anyway?

* * *

Chapter fourteen

**At the Old Cemetery**

"Name?"

"Godric."

"Only Godric?" asked Andy.

I was curious too.

"My name is too long and there are pronunciations that your Latin alphabets can't represent."

"Excuse me?" Andy's big eyes were getting bigger.

"Godric, my name is Godric."

"Vampire Godric," Andy typed the words he was saying.

"Occupation?"

"Dishwasher at Merlotte's."

Andy looked at him, but he didn't say anything. "Age?"

Now, that would be an interesting answer.

"Seventeen years, six months and four nights old according to my calendar. I believe, it will be…" Godric closed his eyes for a moment, and then, "Seventeen years, four months and some days old; according to your calendar."

Andy looked at him and muttered, "Seventeen years old."

I grabbed Godric's hand. I felt my body shaking. Seventeen and a half year old boy…and four days. He counted his human age as if it had been something precious.

"Do you have anything to prove that? I mean something like a passport or driving license?"

"I can't drive, and I leave my passport at home."

"And where is that?"

"Dallas, Texas." He mentioned an address in Dallas.

"You're from Dallas?" I looked at him.

"Yes, I visited somebody here and I kinda like it, so I decided to stay for a while."

"And while you're here, where do you stay?"

"Sometimes at Tara's…I mean at Ms. Thornton's, sometimes under Mr. Merlotte's trailer, and sometimes at the old cemetery besides the old house at Beauvoir Street."

Andy touched the bottle of ink on his table, but before the bottle fell, Godric had caught it. "Thank you," said Andy. "Sorry, Godric, but hearing you sleep at the old cemetery makes me nervous."

"Don't be," Godric smiled. "I know it's not normal, but I don't have enough money to stay at the Vampire Hotel in Shreveport. Besides, I can't drive."

"Where were you at…" he checked his notebook, "on the 12th of August 2010?"

"I was on my way from Shreveport to Bon Temps. I heard about a nice bar, which sells TruBlood and probably looks for some hands to hire. I wanted to try my luck. I mean, since I decided to stay here for awhile, it might be better for me if I also earned some money."

"Go on."

"As I was around a mile away from the bridge, you know the red bridge between Shreveport and Bon Temps?"

Andy nodded.

"I heard a loud bang and I ran. I saw a car, hanging at the side of the bridge. I wanted to leave because I didn't hear anything anymore, then suddenly I heard a very weak heartbeat. I went down and I saw Tara. I pulled her out of the car and laid her down on the street."

I nodded at Andy. "He's telling you the truth, Detective"

"After that?"

Godric looked at me and then at Andy and he said something I didn't really understand, but strangely, Andy said, "Yes, Godric." I wanted to ask him what he had said, but a voice told me I'd better ask him later, when we were alone. Why would I do that? Wasn't it better to ask the question now? I mean if it could free him from any accusation?

_Not now, Tara._

Again, I heard that voice. What had Godric said in his story, ah…not now meant never. No, I'd better ask him now.

_Tara, trust me._

I trusted only Godric…no, Godric said, I had to trust myself, listen to my body; and my body wanted to know.

_You're a stubborn woman! Listen…_

"You can sign it here, Godric," Andy's voice made everything clear. I found myself staring at Godric.

I got off the chair. Godric…it had been his voice. He had tried to glamour me!

"Tara…" he reached out his hand.

"Don't touch me!" I said and stormed out of the building.

Here we go again, some people said. We will have difficulties to order drinks at Merlotte's again, the other said. When will that stupid cow realize, no man can stand her! Hey, leave her alone will you, she has enough problems already.

Plack!

I smacked his face as soon as he was standing in front of me. "Don't you dare do that to me again!"

Godric touched his cheek. "That's painful."

"Good, so you will learn."

"I did it for your own good, Tara."

"Really?" My blood ran straight to my head. I felt myself boiling with anger. "You did it for yourself! You were there all along; you were with that woman…." I moved away from him. "You might as well have killed her and …"

"Don't say it… yes, I have killed a lot of humans, some of them were women…. but I never force any woman to have sex with me…," his eyes were blazing. "Two thousand and thirty years I have been living and there has never been a single time that I touched any woman, who didn't want me!"

"Then why were you there, why?"

He reached out his hand. "Come with me…please. I will tell you everything, but not here. Please, Tara…Darling…"

"Don't you darling me!" I refused his hand, but he caught me and pulled me into his arms. Frustrated, I hit his chest. Why did I have to be drawn to men with problems? Why couldn't it be just a simple man, who had a normal life… somebody like Sat, perhaps…"Don't you darling me…"

The coldness of his body was slowly spreading to my body, calming me down.

"Tara…," he whispered. "My child…"

I held him tight. "Take me away from here, Godric. Just take me away,"

I felt the wind move very fast and strong as Godric lifted me. I closed my eyes and tried to feel relaxed. I was with Godric, a two thousand and thirty years old vampire, what possibly could happen, except being his prey, of course. For the moment, I didn't really care if he was going to suck me or to fuck me. I wanted to know the truth.

Slowly, Godric put me down. I didn't know where we were, it was so dark here. Then, I heard a deep baa-rooom sound, as if something heavy was being pushed.

"You wait here." I heard Godric say.

"You're kidding, right?"

"I'll look for a lamp."

"Where are we?"

"The old cemetery."

"What? Godric…don't leave me here…Godric?"

But he was already gone.

"Godric…oh, shit!" I cursed myself. This wasn't funny anymore. A moment ago, he had tried to glamour me and now he had left me at the old cemetery, alone, knowing that the horseman was on the loose. I really could stake that fucking vampire!

A dimmed light was moving closer. I didn't dare to move. It could be Godric, or anybody. Oh, Jesus...make it Godric, please….What would I do if it wasn't him? It was so dark here. The people of Bon Temps were really a bunch of greedy assholes! Why didn't they put a light at every corner?

"Come."

Godric's soft voice was like fresh dew in the morning. Oh, thank God!

Godric took me inside one of the old tombs. To my surprise, it was quite big and cozy. The walls were dry; the floor was clean. There were some kind of reliefs on the walls; some small statues here and there that made this place like a small living room. At the corner was a coffin made of light brown wood with leaf ornaments on it.

"I removed the body," Godric said, as if he wanted to excuse himself for sleeping there. "I buried him and made a proper burial…according to my belief."

"And Mr. Doe agreed with that, huh?"

"Who?"

"Don't you ever watch TV? You know, if you found somebody whose name you don't know, then you call him John Doe."

"Oh, that. He was Monsieur Jean-Pierre Boulard-Rathbone-Ranlett-du Bourg-de La Ronde."

"Okay…," He must have been the product of that kind of family business. It hadn't been unusual that the rich families in Louisiana got married to each other to keep the properties in the family. And this poor bastard carried at least five rich family names in Bon Temps, at least that's what the author of the book _Bon Temps: A Look into The Past _had written.

"Aren't you afraid… I mean, somebody could enter this tomb and kill you."

"Its door is sealed tight. Besides, this tomb is deep inside the earth, but thank you for worrying about me." Godric smiled.

"The Faun could find you too…" I smiled back at him.

"He wouldn't dare," he said. "This place is in the realm of the faeries."

"Godric, you really believe they exist? I mean, I wasn't dreaming or hallucinating when I saw her? Callisto said, my mind is very confused these days. I might have seen things."

"Yes, I do. We used to call them with different names. We used to believe that they were the children of Dôn – the god of sky; and Llyr – the god of Sea."

"So, what my aunty said that there were shimmering people, who could fly or come out from the pond, was true…?"

"Your aunt and you, Tara, are among the few, who are blessed with keen sights."

"I have a different opinion about it." Suddenly I had the urge to drink something, straight. This was too much for me. I couldn't call 'being institutionalized' because of seeing the children of whomever, as 'being blessed'. Then, I became curious. "Is that the reason why you helped me…and you know…"

His eyebrow was lifted. "No, I didn't know you were one of those people. I helped you because you needed help." Then, he smiled. "And I sleep with you because I want to. You are…what do you say these days…fuckable?"

I felt my spit go into the wrong throat. Fuckable?

"I don't like that expression so much, to be honest." He continued, ignoring my cough.

"O yeah, what would you use?"

"Desirable…alluring…" he moved closer, "breathtaking…captivating…hot…sexy…," and closer, "…pleasing…enticing…"

"Stop it…" I felt my face hot. His face was now only few inches away from mine.

"Very…very seductive…," he kissed me. "Very…."

"Was that what you learned from your queen…to say nice words to women…?" I tried to fight the lust, that again, crawled all over my skin. Really, I didn't want to end up having sex inside Mr. Jean Pierre whathisname's coffin.

"No," his lips were moving closer. "The Greek taught me and some lessons I've picked through the years. But I don't just say, Darling. You are…"

"No shit," I grinned and didn't refuse his kisses. I even kissed him back.

After a while, we broke apart from each other's kisses. He took my hand and led me to the coffin.

"No fucking way I'll sleep in this thing, Godric."

Godric opened the coffin. To my surprise, it looked clean. The inner part was covered with white linen and there was a kind of mattress on the bottom. A pillow was on the place where the head of a dead man normally lay. This was creepy…too creepy.

Godric took off his shirt and trousers. Carefully, he put them on the side of the coffin. His tattoos were gleaming in the dark. The red one was the brightest among them and somehow stitched into my eyes. He climbed in. "Tara, you can't go home, and you don't want to sleep on the ground…why don't you join me? I'll tell you why I tried to glamour you."

_Oh, shit, fuck, that motherfucker! _

I came to him and craned my neck to see what he was doing. He occupied the whole coffin, laid straight and folded his arms across his chest. There was almost no space for one extra person. How would I sleep inside?

"You don't plan to sleep with those dirty clothes in my bed, do you?"

"Godric…!" I protested. There's no…oh, what the fuck! I took off my clothes and climbed in, wearing only my bra and panties.

For a moment we pushed each other to find a comfortable position with each other. In the end, I was in his arms, feeling cold but comfortable.

"Let's be honest with each other." I said. "Were you seventeen, seventeen and a half or seventeen and four months old?"

"I was seventeen years, six months and four nights old, according to my calendar."

"You mean, 'day'?"

"Our days began with the night. I am a Cornovii, Tara. We counted the time or days differently than others. We have thirteen months for a year, and 28 days in a month."

"Really?" I looked at him.

"Yes. The result would be the same with the Gregorian Calendar – the Roman calendar…"

"Yeah, yeah…I know what the Gregorian Calendar is. It's a calendar that was made by Pope Gregory in Rome."

"You're a reader, aren't you?"

"You can say that, yeah. I read a lot. Gran said I wasted my time by working in supermarkets. I should've gone to a college or something, you know, to gain a better education and better job."

"He's right."

"She. Gran, as Grandmother, Sookie's grandmother."

"Women," Godric smiled. "They are the wisest kind."

I grinned. "Yes, we are."

Godric laughed. "And proud ones too," he played with my hair. "Long before we had contact with people outside the island, we divided the year according to the time of tree growing. Our year had 13 months, and each month had 28 days. '_Beh, Loush, Knee-un, Fairin_, _Sahl-yeh, Hoh-uh Duir, Chihnn-uh, Coll, Muin, Go-ert, Nyettl, _and_ Roo-esh,' _that's how we called our months."

I felt strange feelings crawling on my skin as I heard Godric saying the words in his ancient language. The sound of it…I couldn't describe…It was melodious and the way he said it…his face was solemn and his eyes were half closed as if he was praying to his gods.

Then, he told me how those names would be written in my Latin alphabets: Beth, Louis, Nion, Fearn, Saille, Huath, Duir, Tinne, Muin, Gort, Negetal and Ruish. No wonder he had told Andy his name was written differently. The way he spoke the name of the months and how they were written were completely different from each other.

"I was born in the month of Negetal, when my people celebrated the Samhain. Negetal – you know it as… reed plants?"

"You named your months according to trees?"

"Yes. Long before people talked about global warming and the importance of nature, we – Cornovii lived together with the nature, respected and treated the trees with love. Beth for Birch, Louis for Rowan, Nion for Ash, Fearn for Alder, Saille for Willow, Huath for Hawtorn, Duir or doire for Oak, Tinne for Holly, Muin for Hazel, Gort for Ivy, Negetal for Reed and Ruish for Elder. Then we had contact with the Romans. We learned their language and their alphabet. As Julius the Roman Cesar…"

"Moment, you knew Julius Cesar? The Julius Cesar, the Roman Emperor?"

"No, I didn't know him, but yes, I lived in his time, when he tried to conquer the world and forced his rule upon us, including his calendar."

"Did you…did you also know Jesus? I mean…were you there, when Jesus was still alive…" Oh, how should I say it in a more proper way?

"Unfortunately, not. I heard about the young Israeli, but I never had a chance to go there and see him with my own eyes. I had returned to the village of my Norsemen brothers."

_The Young Israeli…that is an absolutely weird way to call Jesus._

"Anyway, when Julius the Roman Cesar wanted to force his calendar upon us - the Celts or the Gauls as he named us; we fought back by creating our own calendar, which could also be read by the Romans. They had destroyed and conquered our lands, we wouldn't let them destroy our culture as well. At the gathering of the Druids from all over Gaelic areas in Coligny, we changed our way of marking the years. We didn't start the New Year on the month of Beth, but we started from Samhain. I was there among the Druids. They hadn't accepted me as one of them for I bore the markings of the Norsemen, and yet I was respected just the same. They saw the marking of Belanus on my spine and they knew that I had escaped from the hand of Aeron.

The names of our months were changed, but the way we counted the nights remained the same. We have Samonios or October until November. Dumannios, which is November until December. Riuros, December until January. Anagantios, for January until February. Ogronios, for February – March. Cutios for March – April. Giamonios, which is April until May. Simivisionios, May until June. Equos, June until July. Elembious, for July until August. Edrinios, for August until September and Cantlos, for September until October.

"When would it be, your birthday, I mean."

"At the night of Samhain – the 31st of October…"

I chuckled. "Halloween Kid…"

"From where do you think your Halloween came from?"

"Are you telling me that all those costume parties, pumpkins, bonfires were from your people? Get the fuck out of here…" I covered my mouth with my hand. Oh, shit! Thank God we were at his place.

Godric's eyes got bigger. "Be careful with those words," he hissed. He seemed not to forgive me yet. I could see the anger rose in his eyes.

"Sorry…," I said sheepishly.

"Halloween…how the world has changed. We didn't celebrate Halloween. Samhain for us was the time when the door between two worlds was blurred, when the death could walk through the veil and entered our living worlds. For us, it was the time of remembering our beloved, and for one more time, we were able to give them the food and drinks they loved so much. It was the time, when we washed the mistakes we had made through the year, and time for the Druids to tell our future. Yes, we dressed up, wearing animals' skin or heads and tried to imitate the Druids by telling each other fortunes."

"And you were born, when your people were busy having a party…"

"Something like that, yeah. One of the Druids said to my mother, that he saw darkness around me, he saw strange things…tall houses; so tall you could reach the moon, strange animals which could fly…animals which were made of a kind of iron he had never seen…"

"Wow…that's creepy…he described airplanes…"

"Yes, he described airplanes…" he kissed my forehead, "a long time ago."

The fire of the torch was getting weaker. It didn't help me seeing Godric's face, but I could hear it in his voice, he was in pain. I decided to change the subject.

"Why did you want to glamour me?"

"You were about to tell Andy what you think happened that night. My apology, Tara, but I had to stop you."

"You didn't kill that woman, did you?"

Godric didn't answer.

"Godric…you didn't kill her, did you?" I lifted my head to see him clearly. He turned his face away. He had. He had killed that woman.

"I had no choice, Tara."

"Everybody has a choice!"

"I didn't. I had to choose either to save you or to save that woman. I didn't call that a choice."

I got up and sat. "I don't understand."

"You saw the Faun chasing that woman and then raped her. I was just about to stop him, when I saw your car hitting the bridge and went down to the cliff with you in it," Godric also sat. "What did you want me to do? Leave you to die and help a person, who couldn't be helped anymore?"

Tears suddenly ran on my cheeks. "That's not fair…you…blame me for being there…?"

"No…" he wanted to take my hands, but I refused him. "No, my child. I am not blaming you."

"I…don't want all these shits…it wasn't my mistake that I was on that road at that night…"

"Nobody said that, my child."

"You…you could've gone to that woman and saved her, not killed her!"

"Her body was broken. The Faun had a lower body of an animal and an upper part of a man…"

"Yeah, I saw that. He's half horse, half man."

"No, half goat, half man."

"What? Goat…and he has…" I tried to say the word 'cock' or 'dick' but nothing came out; I just pointed at Godric's cock.

"Yes, he has the cock of a goat."

"Jesus!" I covered my mouth with my hands. To hear the word being spoken was worse than to have it in my head.

"Some might have the joy of having…"

"Stop it, otherwise I'll throw up!"

"Fair enough," Godric took my hand, this time I didn't refuse. "That woman was a virgin. I smelled the blood that came out from her vagina. She had been sacrificed to the priest's god via the Faun. When I finally was able to go there, the Faun had gone. She was laying there, the most fragile human I've ever seen, looking at me in agony. She had blood running on her thighs. Her back was broken and I could hear, her heartbeat was getting slower. I wanted to give her my blood, and then I heard her saying. 'Please…help me…kill me.'"

"God….I feel sorry for her…" tears ran down again on my face.

Godric wrapped his arms around me and lay down. "I had to kill her, Tara. I didn't want to, but I had to. If she had survived, she would be crippled and possibly carried an unnatural being inside her womb. I don't want to see her suffer for the rest of her life."

"Couldn't you just catch that bastard and kill him?"

"I can't. The priest is very strong at the moment. I can't see the priest. I feel the presence, but I can't see it. You can see the priest, if you let your body show you. Don't feed the faun and the priest with your emotions, Tara. You have to be able to control yourself."

"I wish I knew how…" I kinda felt stupid and useless.

"Learn, Tara. Learn to use your keen eyes." he kissed my forehead.

"You don't ask me to go to the South-West Street at night, do you?"

"No, but you can start by paying attention to everything."

Easy to say than to do.

Then, we fell into silence.

This was weird for me. Here I was, laying on Godric's chest, with my ears pressed to his chest, but I didn't hear a thing. It was as if I had laid my head on a cold board. There was no other sound but my own breath. This tomb was quiet, too quiet for my taste; it started to frighten me.

"Godric," I started the conversation again. "Why did you rub my body in the shower… you know … you did rub my body under the shower, didn't you?"

"Yes, I did. I had to remove the traces of the Faun on you. He was trying to cover your body with his liquid…"

"What? What do you mean with 'his liquid'? He was peeing on me…or….God, I swear I'll throw up this time…" a strange feeling raged in my stomach.

"No…no, he didn't. What was the word...," Godric closed his eyes. "Gland…scent…he tried to rub his scent all over your body, so when you meet him again, you will see him the way he wants you to see."

I held him tightly. That didn't make me feel better either. I felt ever more awful when I realized I had thought that Godric wanted to rape me. "Sorry, Godric…for doubting you…,"

"I wasn't exactly honest with you either…I should've told you right from the beginning," he chuckled. "You – human, more than two thousand years of living, and you're still able to surprise me."

I hated when he talked 'old' like that because then he sounded _very _old. "Did you ever bring anybody to your coffin?" I tried to get rid of the uncomfortable feeling that suddenly overtook me.

"To have sex with them, you mean? No."

"We won't have sex, not tonight and especially not here."

He chuckled. "I think I have heard that sentence before."

I felt my face grow hot. "Not even your queen? I mean you had been turned before she died, hadn't you? Considering your age…"

"Not here, not tonight, Tara." He used my own sentence.

"Why not?"

"It's hard to live, when you see the life that you had haunts you when you open your eyes and even harder when it follows you in your sleep."

"I am sorry…"

"Don't be. You didn't know." He played with my hair. "You're really sure…"

I elbowed him. "I heard that sentence before too. A no is a no, Godric." As much as I loved having sex with him, having it in a coffin was a bit too much for me.

He kissed my hair and then buried his face under it. His hands wrapped my hip around. "You smell like a river, Darling…" he whispered.

"Good night, Godric." I closed my eyes, grinning.

xxxxx


	15. Farewell, Godric! Hello, Sam?

Chapter Fifteen

**Farewell, Godric! Hello, Sam...?  
**

Once I had a boyfriend, who snored louder than a timber factory, who at the end drove me mad with his snoring so I decided to call off the relationship. I also had a boyfriend, who slept so deeply nothing could wake him up. Every time he slept over at my place, I could hear him screaming and cursing when he woke up too late. Another boyfriend of mine had a bad habit of walking in his sleep and cleaning out the contents of my refrigerator. Once he walked in his sleep and ended up in the room of Denise – my lovely friend, who happened to sleep over at my place, that I decided that it was about the time to kick his cheating, lying ass out of my house, including Denise's!

But I never had a boyfriend who is dead and still looks handsome and very alive, like now.

It was bright when I woke up. Godric must have replaced the torches with the new ones when I still slept. A plastic bag lay beside one of the torches at the corner. In it were a bottle of mineral water and a loaf of sweet bread.

I stood beside the coffin and watched him. He didn't move at all. I had poked his ribs and under his arms. He was very sensitive in that area, as far as I knew, but the result was the same.

I sighed. Softly I caressed his face. My lover, a vampire, who trusted me completely by letting me know where he slept during the day. He even let me stand here and watch him. I could take a piece of wood and staked his heart, if I wanted, and he wouldn't be able to do anything against it.

I sat on the head of a statue and ate the sweet bread. I didn't know where Godric got the idea I would love eating such junk as this (I had a weight to keep eye on), but I ate it nevertheless. I was hungry. I couldn't eat moss or whatever animals that crawled around on the ground. God, that boy really needed to learn how to satisfy girls in the food department. How could somebody, who was so good in bed, be so lousy with food? I forgot. He hadn't eaten any food since two thousand years ago.

Alone in a tomb somewhere underground, everything became clear for me. If you're alone and there is no other sound, except perhaps the sound of water, dripping somewhere, your own thoughts become louder and force you to listen to them.

Godric and I couldn't be together. Yes, we had great sex together, but like he said himself, he would live forever and be young; and I would grow older and die. Would I be able to accept the fact that Godric might be attractive to younger women? Sooner or later I wouldn't be able to satisfy his unending sexual needs. This fact I understood and accepted. I am, after all, only a human. I might be still be able to keep up with him when I am sixty or older, but after that, I am not so sure anymore. Would I also be able to accept the fact that I wouldn't be able to have children if I continued to be with him?

Would we even be still together when this case was over, when I could remember what had happened that night? Yes, I remembered partially, but I still couldn't remember who had been sitting beside me and why Andy couldn't find any other DNA except mine and Sam's.

Sam.

I had to ask him. He must know why I was in his car. I must have said something to him or he must have said something to me.

Callisto had been right. I had to focus on what happened to me. I couldn't simply jump blindly into a relationship, no matter how intoxicating Godric was. I was still under a great shock, she said. I had to wait.

Yes, I had to wait until everything was clear. I didn't want to end up like my mother, who jumped from one man to the next. She never admitted it, but somehow I believed she wanted to have a stable relationship too. I realized I wasn't much better than her. I also jumped from one boyfriend to the next, to find a stronger ground, strong arms only to end in disappointment.

No, not this time. If there's something I could learn from Godric, then it should be his will to survive, his eagerness and willingness to learn and to be better than before. He hadn't stopped just being a warrior, he learned how to read and write. He absorbed knowledge like sponge absorbed water. He even wanted more and more.

Gran was right. I should stop searching jobs from one supermarket to the other. I had to go back to school, improve my skill and knowledge, and then look for a job. I may not easily be satisfied with temporary comfort. I had to find a stable and strong ground in myself, and not in the arms of a man.

I put down the bottle and the bread and walked over Godric. Softly I kissed his forehead. "Thanks, Godric, for opening my eyes. I owe you one." I smiled at him. His pink lips looked dull under the dimmed torch light. Lips that had kissed thousands of lips; that had told stories to many women on many beds; that had been mine in the last ten days and would leave me soon. I sighed. Yes, I would miss them, but I would cherish our time together.

Life is an irony sometimes and I believe God is the biggest teaser of all.

I – of all people, who hated vampires; found knowledge and understanding about myself through my relationship with a vampire.

Godric woke up long after the torches had gone out and I'd been in darkness for what I thought was an eternity. I knew he had woken when I heard his gentle voice calling my name. In this quietness, even the sound of a needle falling to the ground would be like a thunder. I told him where I was and he found me as soon as I finished my sentence.

When the light had been out, for short moment, I had a panic attack, thinking that the tomb would be out of oxygen and I would be suffocated and die. But then, I told myself Godric wouldn't have brought me here if the tomb didn't have a good air circulation. He knew that my brain won't survive very long without oxygen...didn't he? I got more and more panicked when I remembered, without oxygen, the torches won't burn. That's a good sign. The torches were burning. As long as they burnt, I'd live...that's a good thought.

Then, the torches went out. I started counting. I read somewhere, human brains can survive for three until five minutes without oxygen. There are 60 seconds in a minute. So, five times 60 are 300. One, two, three...301. Wuh! I'm still alive!

I held Godric tight. "I want to go home," I said. "I need to clean up and go to the bathroom. I've been holding it for ages!"

"Let's have a swim in the river. You can do it there."

Bon Temps' river? Heh, I believed, I hadn't done it for ages!

We swam and made out in the river surrounded by darkness and the light of a waning moon hanging somewhere low in the west. I let myself be led by Godric, followed and did whatever he said to me. There was a different kind of joy, simply to be ordered around (or asked around – since Godric asked me nicely) and be surprised for a little kiss or his sudden emergence from the water, but in the end, I decided to make love to him right there, on the bank of the river. I was the one who took control and asked him not to do anything, except to lay down on the wet grass and to enjoy my kisses and touch. This was my farewell to him and I hoped he remembered it well.

He held me tight when we finished. "Whatever you have on your mind, Darling, you can tell me."

"Not now, Godric."

He held me tighter. "Don't say that. Say that you won't tell me. At least, it's more honest."

I touched his jaw. "I promise, I will tell you when the time comes. I am not lying."

"Tara…" I couldn't see his face, but I swore I heard a cry in his voice. Ah, Godric….you will forget me, sooner than you can ever imagine.

Godric carried me home. He lifted my body and ran to my place or that's what I thought. Since, suddenly we were standing in front of my house. I didn't know how he had done that, but I was glad. Finally, I was at a place I knew.

"Tara…"

Godric put me down. I turned around to see the source of the voice and saw Jason standing on the porch. "Hi, Godric!"

Godric nodded.

Jason looked confused….well, he looked confused most of the time, but this time, he looked more confused than usual. His hands turned around his red panther cap over and over again, his eyes were red and his dark blond hair was tussled. On another man, those features would make him look stupid; but on Jason, they made him look adorable and huggable.

"Have you seen Sam or Andy?"

"No, I was with Godric the whole day."

Jason scratched his head. "I thought vampires couldn't wake up during the day…how…"

"Jason, forget it. I was with Godric, but not exactly with him…"

"Excuse me?" both men asked the same question.

"Theoretically, I was with Godric, since he was sleeping and I was…ah, forget it. Why are you looking for them?"

"Sam promised to come with me and Andy to go to the red bridge, you know, to look for other evidence on your case. Andy said he had been ordered to stop the investigation by Sheriff Dearborn,"

"What?"

"Yeah, Sheriff said there wasn't enough evidence to build the case. It was purely accident, but Andy doesn't believe that and wants to continue the case on his own."

Good for Andy and me!

"I've been looking for them the whole day, but they weren't at their homes. Sam's trailer was empty, even his dog wasn't there! Sam must have taken the dog with him. Andy's place is also empty. I decided to come here, and you weren't here."

I couldn't tell Jason I had been at Godric's place in a tomb under the earth, somewhere at Beauvoir Street. I decided to keep my mouth shut and continued listening.

"Then, I went to this Callisto lady's place. Who knows, you know…they weren't there either. Half of Bon Temps were there or I believe they are still there, but not Sam and Andy."

"What?"

"Yeah, they are having a kind of welcome party…and something about her god-son is going to graduate from his study so…"

"Really? Sat's study is finished?"

"You know him?" Jason's voice sounded alert. He might be the dimmest blub in the box, but he's not that stupid when it came to his territory. He must have felt threatened by Sat, who wasn't only handsome, but muscled, nice and clever.

"Yeah, I saw him several times."

Both Jason and Godric were alerted. I even saw his eyes flickering. Did I say something strange, or did they catch something else in my voice?

"Strange guy," Jason said.

"He's here?"

"Yes, he danced the whole time with the Millers," he said.

Now I agreed that was strange.

"The Millers don't look weird anymore, now that they removed their hair decoration."

I laughed. Jason put it correctly. What they had on their hair was either bandannas or hair rollers, it was 'hair decoration'.

"You know where Sam and Andy might have gone?"

"No, sorry, Jason."

"You want to…" he looked at Godric and then at me, "…go to the red bridge with me?"

"I'd love to….but what are we looking for there?"

"I don't know. Something that looks suspicious perhaps…" he put his cap on. "Godric can help…if he wants to."

"I think, we'd better go to Sam's place first," said Godric. "I can find him by smelling his clothes, if he hasn't left Bon Temps yet."

We drove to Sam's trailer. I never knew why Sam lived in a trailer instead of in one of the houses that he owned. I liked nicking him by saying that it was as if he was ready to run away.

"You heard anything from Sookie?" I asked Jason.

"She'll be home tomorrow. She called you today, but well," he squinted at Godric, "you weren't at home."

"I'm glad her business is done."

"What's she doing there anyway?"

"Looking for a missing vampire," I looked at Godric. "You're from Dallas. You know who it might be?"

"It could be the sheriff of Dallas."

"I don't know there's a vampire sheriff," said Jason. "Hmh, but why do they need Sookie?"

"There are also some humans, who work for the sheriff, because he or she can't do the job in the day time. Maybe Eric wants to ask her to listen to their thoughts."

"You know about this?"

Godric nodded. "It won't be the first time a telepath has been used for such cases."

"I'd love to have her here," I said. "She could go to deep into my mind, if she wanted."

"The result could be unpleasant for you or her, Tara. To make it simple, if she goes too deep, it's possible she would experience the same thing. She might feel as if she was there that night and watching the incident. You would have the feeling as if you were splashed with icy water."

"That wouldn't be too hard."

"But you never know how long it will go on. As long as she's in your memory, you will have the feeling again and again."

"Like waterboarding."

"What?" Jason looked at me.

"You know, when somebody holds your hand and then pours water into your mouth over and over again?"

"That's sick! It'd make you feel as if you're drowning! From where'd you get all that information?"

"Internet."

Jason scratched his head. "Strange, I'd never find that kind of site." He grinned.

It would be strange if _he had actually found_ the site, but I said, "Go to Wikipedia, you'll find a lot of things there."

"Yeah, sure. I do it from time to time."

"Then, you have to know what you are looking for, Jason."

"I guess, but I know some," he said. "And what I know is enough for me."

"That's wise, Jason," said Godric. "You're a satisfied man."

Jason smiled. "You know, I can't think much, but what I have thought, I thought hard. I think sometimes simply to accept what you are and what you are not is much better than dreaming about what you can be or might be."

I looked at him, astonished. I never thought Jason could form such a well-thought out sentence.

Sam's trailer looked like it had been abandoned for days. We were welcomed by letters and bills that were spread around on the floor; the dishes were stacked creating a mountain and stinking smell; and there was a water-dripping sound somewhere.

"Sam, are you home?" asked Jason.

The trailer was silent as before.

Where was he?

Godric took one of Sam's plaid shirts and sniffed it. "It's too clean," he said. "I can't base my search from the smell of his soap."

"Yeah, you're right," I said; especially, if the scent of his soap was a very common one, which was used by the majority of Bon Temps people.

"That's weird," said Jason with his hand on one of the cupboard's door. "He has a dog, right? Why doesn't he have any dog food? What does the dog eat?"

Before anyone could answer, something ran inside the trailer. Sam's collie. He was wet and dirty. Mud was hanging on his hair, making him look awful.

"Hey you," I said and was about to touch him, when he ran to Godric; sat in front of him and right before our eyes, he changed into Sam, butt naked. On his ribs was a big deep red and blue mark. It looked like a footstep of an animal.

Brakk! A loud noise filled the room as a jar of pickles Jason was holding fell to the floor. Some pickles rolled and the water from the jar spread quickly. Jason himself was standing like a statue with one hand in the air and the other on the door of the cabinet. His mouth was wide open. When finally he managed to utter any word, he said, "I used to roll on the ground with…Dean Merlotte, I mean …Sam, the dog…I mean…"

I rubbed my eyes and told myself again and again that what I'd seen was only – like Callisto said – a trick of the mind. But no, it wasn't. Sam was still there, kneeling before Godric. He even held Godric's leg. His body was shaking.

"I am so sorry, Godric…" he said. "I tried to do it again."

Xxxxx

The steam stood straight like a straw, popping up from the coffee cups. It's damn cold in Sam Merlotte's trailer, but that's not what made the owner shake.

Sam had put on a t-shirt with 'I am a dog, hug me' written on it (Yeah, right. I rolled my eyes as I saw it). He put some whiskey in his coffee and had drunk half of it. His hair was messy and dirty. He'd probably rolled himself in the dirt, somewhere.

Jason stood beside the door; one hand on his hip; the other on his mouth. He opened and closed his mouth as if he wanted to say something, but couldn't find the right word. I knew I couldn't.

Sam Merlotte, my boss, is a dog….somebody, which could change himself into a dog…a shape-shifter…Jesus! What else existed out there?

"Where were you going to go, Sam?" Godric's soft voice broke the silence.

"Yeah," said Jason. "I want to know too. Jeez, Man! I thought you were my friend and you are…a dog! Jeez, wait until the others know about this…"

Sam turned to Jason. "Nobody else can know about this, Jay!"

"Yeah, yeah…" Jason wiped off his mouth. "I kissed you, Man…imagine what the others would say if they knew…"

"Sorry, Jason. I couldn't tell you about it."

I cleared my throat. "Why did you run away, Sam? From what?"

"I stole somebody's money long time ago and now this person's in town." Sam drank his coffee. "She came to me the other night and said hello, but I knew she wasn't just saying hello and not demanding anything in return."

"She? You're afraid of a chick…?" Jason came to the table and was about to say something when his eyes caught mine. "Well…some chicks are tough…" he grinned stupidly, "but surely there's something you can do about it."

"It's not that easy, Jay." Sam sighed.

"Running away won't solve any problem, Sam." I said. I'd done it many times, I knew, running away would only cause more problems.

"I was panicking, Tara. If you knew her, you would run away too."

"It's not a person I happen to know, is it?"

"I don't know." Sam got up. "She has many names and faces. She's like a witch. She appears differently to different persons."

Jason put his cup on the table. "Say, Sam; if it's only the money that you took, why don't you give it back and some more for the interest, and then your debt is paid."

"I did, but she refused it. She said that she doesn't need my money. She asked me to pretend we don't know each other and everything would be fine, but I don't trust her. She never does anything if it doesn't serve her need."

"We can report her to the police," said Jason. "I mean, it's a kind of blackmail, isn't it?"

"And say what? That I stole her money and tried to return it and she refused it?"

"Ah…" Jason scratched his head. "Perhaps…perhaps you can tell us her name and I can keep an eye on her."

"Jane Smith."

"You've got to be kidding me," I said. Jane Smith is a name which is normally used if a woman doesn't want to be known who she really is, at least, that's what the movies say.

Sam shrugged.

"Come on Sam, what are you afraid of?"

"Except that all of Bon Temps will find out I could change into animals? Oh, nothing, really," he said cynically. "You're damn right, Tara. Running away won't solve any problem and I am tired of running. I want to start my life over here. I feel good about myself, my business is running well and I have some friends. I don't want to leave this town, but I also don't want people to know what I really am!"

The trailer became silent.

"Where were you going?" Godric asked after some time.

"Out of Bon Temps, but I was stopped by…." He stopped. His face was paler when he continued, "A being I'd never seen before. He's half-man and half-goat. On his head were two horns…goat's horns."

"The faun," I gasped. "He is here again…?"

"What do you mean _again_?" Sam looked at me angrily. "You saw him before?"

"Yes."

"And you didn't tell me?"

"Yeah, right! What would you think if I told you?"

"I need a drink," said Jason. He trembled. "Folks, I know I ain't bright, but Jesus! Even I know what it means."

Sam and I turned to him, curious of what he was going to say.

"That we are all in danger! We have to find this being and kill him!"

He made his point.

"You can't kill him, Jason," said Godric. "I tried once and I failed. You have to find the priest and kill him."

"You tell me how to find him and I'll do it, Godric," said Jason.

"Follow the faun."

Sam sat down. "It won't be easy. He almost killed me. He kicked me in the chest and I swore, he didn't do it with full power, otherwise I'd be dead by now."

"Maybe Sookie can help," said Jason. "She can read minds, right…"

Sam looked at Jason. "She can do what?"

Jason's face was red. He seemed to realize he had said something extremely stupid, stupider than normal. I knew the feeling. I tapped his shoulder.

"I don't think Sam will tell anybody…won't you, Sam?"

Sam got up and took the whiskey bottle. He wanted to drink it straight from the bottle when Godric stopped him. "You will only make yourself more vulnerable to the Faun, Sam."

"Sookie…she can read minds, Jesus…" Sam blushed.

Sam might be a quiet man, who didn't say much, but I believed he was just like any other man when he saw Sookie.

"Forget it, Sam. I think Sookie is used to it by now," I winked.

"What are we going to do now?" asked Jason. "We have to find Andy."

"What's wrong with Andy?"

"We agreed to go to the red bridge, remember? He's gone. I can't find him anywhere. I thought you'd gone with him."

"Fuck, I forget that. Sorry, Jason. Under the circumstances…"

"Yeah, yeah, I know," interrupted Jason. "What are we going to do, now?"

"Run the business as usual," it was Godric, who answered the question. "Perhaps, we will be able to find answers from your customers, Sam. If not, then you, as day walkers, can try to figure out the way tomorrow."

xxxxxx


	16. Sam's Tale

**Author's Note: **Thanks to Loocie for Godric's age information.

* * *

Chapter sixteen

**Sam's Tale  
**

Jason stayed close to me the whole night. Normally he sat on the corner seat beside the pool table. His friends would play or talk; he would have a girl on his arm and drink beer.

Tonight, he sat at the bar. He didn't touch his beer. His red eyes moved restlessly. He wasn't drunk, he said. He hadn't enough sleep.

"I don't know. I woke up the whole night, every little bit, thinking." he said when I asked him. "You remember the other night, when there were many people dancing here?"

Oh yeah, how could I forget? It was the night when my mother came and the Miller Sisters were officially in the same circle of friends with me.

"You didn't think it was strange?"

"What'd you mean?"

His face was closer to mine. "You know Keith Connor, right?"

Keith Connor was in Jason's clique. Wherever Jason went, Keith Connor and Hoyt Fortenberry would definitely be there, speaking of which, where were they?

"He said to me, Arlene was very angry with him. He doesn't know why."

"Is it a wonder? He drank like a camel the other night and tried to hump her several times. I would also be angry with him if I were Arlene."

Jason shook his head. "No, he didn't. He drank only a glass of beer. And Hoyt…" he whispered as he continued, "…found himself near the South-West Street with two women. He swore he had never seen those women before in his life. Worse, he didn't remember what happened, neither did the women."

"Get the fuck out of here!"

"Swear to God, Tara! You know Hoyt, he never lies. If it was me, then…well, it happens sometimes…," Jason grinned. "But Hoyt?"

"That's weird."

"I don't want to spread any rumors," Jason pushed the glass away. "But I think there's something wrong with your booze, Tara."

"Ah, come on Jason! You've always drunk here and as far as I know, you never once complained about Sam's booze."

"What's wrong with my booze?" Sam was suddenly behind me. I used to wonder how he was able to appear so suddenly, now I didn't even want to imagine what else Sam was able to do.

"Some people don't remember what they did after they had drinks here."

"Bullshit!" Sam took a glass of water and drank it in one go. "Although, it wouldn't be the first time for you Jason…"

"We're not talking about me," said Jason. "It's Kevin and Hoyt."

"Hoyt?"

Both Jason and I nodded.

"His mother won't be happy to hear that."

I always thought Hoyt Fortenberry was the wrong kind of friend for Jason. He's 28 years old, a polite man, still living with his mother and he's been single for all his life. I'd never seen him with any girl, ever. Sometimes I thought he had a crush on Jason, but on second thought, I wasn't sure if there'd be a good enough girl in the eyes of his mother. Mrs. Fortenberry commented and watched girls, who hung around her son like an eagle, watching over her prey. The girls were always talking too much, too quiet, laughing too loud, too fat, too skinny, too clever, too stupid, too white, too black, on and on. I didn't know how Jason could convince her to let her son hang around with him. Well, he's Jason Stackhouse, after all. Mrs. Fortenberry is a woman, and there's no woman on this earth Jason Stackhouse couldn't handle, whether her name was Fortenberry or not.

"He asked me to lie to his Mama." Jason turned around his juice. "Oh-oh, if she ever found out, I think she would kill me too."

I believed that.

Sam looked at his watch. "Where's everybody?"

I looked around and realized the restaurant was empty. There was not a single resident of Bon Temps sitting on the chairs. At this hour, which was around eight o'clock, people would appear one by one and by ten, the restaurant would be full.

"Well, Sam…" Lafayette's bangles made us turn around. He leaned on the kitchen door's frame. "If you weren't missing in action the whole time, you would know that everybody was invited to Callisto's house tonight."

Jason looked at me and shrugged. "I told you," he said. "You can close the restaurant, Sam and join the party if you want."

"I don't think so, Jason." Sam smiled bitterly. "I'll skip the night tonight."

"Are we closing?" I asked.

"Nah, we open normally. If nobody comes, think of it as your paid holiday. I'll be in my trailer if you're looking for me."

Jason drank some glasses of juice before he decided to go to Andy's house again. "I have a real bad feeling about him, Tara. You know how he is, okay, we always think of him as a wannabe detective, but he always keeps his appointments. It's just not him."

"Be careful, Jay."

He nodded. He walked some steps away, before he turned around and said, "Can I drive you home tonight? I mean, if Godric doesn't take you home, of course."

"All right,"

He smiled. "Later, then!"

My heart missed a beat. Damn, Jason! You shouldn't have flashed your smile so sweetly and easily like that! "Later!"

xxxxx

The hideous cuckoo watch at the upper corner of the bar struck nine times and shocked the hell out of me. Sam had brought that watch with him a year ago when he returned from his vacation somewhere in Germany. He thought the watch was amusing. It had a small door with two dogs sitting on each side of the door. Every full hour, the door would open and and a kind of bird went in and out. Most of the guests found it amusing too, until two or three days later when the sound of "kuk-kuk" had eaten the very last nerve of many of them. We all wanted to remove that watch, but Sam didn't let us. It had been the most beautiful holiday of his life and he wouldn't let anybody talk badly about that hideous watch, let alone remove it from its place.

If I could, I would take an axe and smash that horrible watch, really!

"I forgot that you're always sleeping with half open eyes," a voice made me jump off my chair. My mother. She was standing in front of me, smiling.

I looked around. Nobody was there; only us. I must have fallen asleep. "How long have I been sleeping?"

She sat and put her white handbag on the table. "I don't know, Honey. You were sleeping when I came in…around," she looked at her watch, which was also white, and smile, "ten minutes ago."

I looked around again. "Nobody served you?" Where the heck was Arlene?

"It's okay."

It's okay? I looked at her. That was definitely something new from her. Lettie-Mae Thornton, the queen of booze, had always demanded that it had to be her drunkenness first and not a single second too late!

"It looks very quiet here," she said, "Ach, Honey. Don't be so surprised like that," she continued as she looked at me. "Really, it's okay. I only want to talk to you."

The sound of Lafayette's bangles made us turn around. "Oh, it's you," he said.

"Laffy, how are you?"

Lafayette raised his eyebrow. "Fine…I guess," he said slowly, as if he couldn't believe his ears.

"What is it with you, children?" my mother smiled. "Aren't you happy to see me?"

Well, I couldn't really say. "Do you want something to drink, Mum?"

"I think I'll take a glass of apple juice."

"Excuse me?" said Lafayette.

"Can't a lady have a glass of apple juice?"

"Yeah, a lady can, but I don't know about you," he said and turned around. "Apple juice, my ass!" I heard him muttering. "Bon Temps is going down the drain."

I poured the apple juice into the glass and put a red cherry on the side of the glass. She liked a little decoration on her glass. I guessed her habit wouldn't change since she was sober – if she was sober.

She said thank you. "You look good, Tara. Your vampire treats you well?"

"As a matter of fact, he does," I said. "What about you, Mum? Somebody treats you well?"

"I've lived alone for the last couple of months. It's a part of the program, you know."

"Program? What program?"

"I registered myself in a rehabilitation clinic, Honey."

Really? She had sounded definitely drunk some days ago, when she called me from god knows where.

"One of the conditions is I have to live alone and sober."

"Good for you, Mum," I said, honestly.

"Thank you, Honey. Say, do you have time for me? Cause I want to talk to you about something important."

"Can we talk here? I mean look around…there's nobody here."

"No, Honey. Why don't you come to my hotel after work? You can sleep there too if you want."

"Jeez, I don't know, Mum…"

"Tomorrow, perhaps?"

I looked at my mother. She looked serious. My mother had never been serious before. "Okay, I'll come after work."

"Wonderful. Thank you, Hon," she kissed my cheek.

_Wonderful? _Everybody talked like Callisto these days?

After finishing her drink, she said goodbye. She insisted on paying; she said it was one of the program's steps too.

I stared at the red cherry. That was strange, if it hadn't even been weird. My mother dressed up clean, sober and talking like Callisto. I must have been in a fucking nightmare or I definitely had spent too much time with Callisto because in my eyes, everybody sounded like Callisto these days.

I sighed. Callisto. I'd pay her a visit tomorrow and excuse myself for not calling or coming today. Why wait until tomorrow? I could call her now. The restaurant was empty anyway.

After awhile, somebody picked up the phone. "Hallo?" A loud noise, almost screaming welcomed my ears. I could hear the loud music, laughs and other noises. "Hallooooo?"

"Is Callisto there?"

"No, Callisto is not there, she's here." Then, a giggling.

It looked like I had a joker on the other line. "Can you get me Callisto, please?"

"Oh, I don't know. She's busy dancing..." Then, "O yeah, o yeah, Baby….harder…harder….oh…" Brakk! Then, a distinct sound of panting and moaning filled the line.

I put down the phone. What the fuck was going on at Callisto's place? Were they having an orgy or something? That sound…that sound was unmistakably the sound of two people fucking.

"What's wrong, Tara?" Lafayette popped up again. "That 'lady' is gone already?"

"Yeah, yeah." I said. "Something weird is going on, Laffy. I believe I just heard people having anorgy."

Lafayette snorted. "What did I tell you? You really should stop watching those porn sites."

"I stopped it a long time ago since you decided to perform a live show on your homepage," I stuck out my tongue.

"You know, Bitch, I have my 3500th follower this week, I guess, I did well and people luurve seeing me shake my booty."

Lafayette was a good dancer; I think I could believe that. But why he didn't sound happy? "What's wrong, Laffy?"

"Bob wants to me to take down my sites. He doesn't want any of his friends to find out about it. It could only mean political suicide for him."

"Are you happy with that coward?"

Lafayette smiled bitterly. "Do I look happy?"

Not exactly. I gave him a smile. "It seems we – the Reynolds, are not so lucky with men, are we?"

"What about your …." He pointed the small door.

"We're cool, yeah." I said. I had decided to let him go, but Lafayette didn't need to know, at least not now.

"It looks like we have a dead night, tonight. But Sam doesn't look so worried, don't you think?"

He had another problem to worry him.

Godric came out from the small room and gave me a kiss (Lafayette rolled his eyes). "You didn't have your cigarette break tonight," he said.

I smiled. He had missed our make-out session.

"It's quite empty tonight," he said.

"Yeah. People are having a party at Callisto's place."

"Party," Godric looked trouble. "You have too much partying these days."

By 'you', I suppose, he meant 'humans'…or Bon Temps' people? As far as I could remember, Bon Temps people weren't exactly party animals. The wedding parties that I had attended were mostly short and cheap: a little ceremony in the church and a little party at home. The economic situation these days was not strong and people tended to avoid unnecessary expenses, including parties.

Godric was right. Two 'parties' in a week was a bit much for us, the people of Bon Temps, especially if it was included an orgy.

And Callisto had made it happen. The two parties….Callisto. Why did her name keep coming up?

Around eleven Jason came. He shook his head as he entered the restaurant. He didn't find Andy. "I'm really worried about Andy. Where could he be?"

"I wish I could answer that question, Jason."

"Are you going to stay here, even when nobody comes?"

"I have to stay, Jay, sorry. It's my job. I can't simply leave."

Jason smiled. "You're different, Tara. In the past you would say, 'what the fuck, Jay, let's get the fuck out of here'. Then, you would yell to your boss, 'I quit! This job is lousy anyway!'"

I smiled. "Sam's been kind enough to me to give me this job; I might as well do the best I can." And if I wanted to go on with my planning to go to college, I had to keep this job.

"You're a good bartender,"

"Thanks, Jay. Hey, you think you can drive me to La Vie hotel later?"

"Sure," he said. He looked at my mother's apple juice glass, that I hadn't washed yet. "Lettie-Mae was here?" Jason seemed to remember my mother's favorite drink garnish.

I nodded.

"What'd she want?"

"I don't know."

"She's also changed. I saw her sitting in front of her hotel room this morning, while I was going to work. She looked calm. I don't know if it's a blessing or a curse, but since you got in the accident, everybody seems to have changed. Don't you think so? It's weird, eh?"

Something hit me. The accident. Everything started from there. I had to go to that place again and see it with my own eyes. I had to remember who was beside me during the accident. Sam. I had to ask Sam!

"Hey, where're you going?"

"Sam. There's something I want to ask him."

"What about the bar?"

"Can you take care of it?"

"Sure, but I can't mix the drinks like you do,"

"They won't mind, Jason." If there would be 'they'.

I went to Sam's trailer, almost running. Possibly, he had lied to the police. He had to know why I borrowed his car at first place. Where had I been going? He had to know. I didn't believe he would let go his car so easily like that. He must have heard a very convincing argument from me that he let his precious small truck go.

Sam was closing his safety box when I entered his trailer. "Jesus, Tara! Didn't you ever learn how to knock?"

"Sorry, Sam." I closed the door. I was about to ask him the question when I saw a travel bag beside his feet. "Running away again, Sam?"

"You don't know what I am dealing with, Tara."

"You're not the only one who has problems, Sam! Look at me. I was involved in an accident that almost killed me and I still have no idea or whatsoever with what happened to me! The only one who could help me has gone missing, and you, whom I thought would be able to help me is going to run away!"

"Damn you, Tara!" He kicked the chair, "Why does it have to be you?"

"What do you…?"

Our eyes met and in that very moment, Sam's eyes betrayed his master. Those brown eyes blinked and then the long eye lashes were down, like the eyes of a little boy, whose mother caught him lying.

"It was you. You were there! You were in the car with me the night of the accident!"

Sam raised his hand; he shook his head, but nothing came out of his mouth.

"You were there and you let me run around, and wonder what had happened to me?"

"It's not that easy Tara…."

"Try me! I almost died, was attacked by the Faun in my own house, am treated by a shrink and saw crazy things…listen, Sam Merlotte, if there's anybody who knows what is easy and what is not, then it will be me!"

Sam wiped off his mouth. "You were attacked by the Faun?"

"Godric told me the Faun put his scent on my body," I said. He hadn't told me how and to be honest, I wasn't that interested either. The imagination that horrible creature had been all over me was more than enough for me to trust Godric's words. Then, I realized something. "You don't seem too surprised…you knew about it?"

Those brown eyes moved restlessly. "Yeah," finally he answered in a low voice. "He almost got me."

What did he mean…Oh, God! My jaw dropped as I realized what had happened to him…once, a long time ago…

"Don't look at me like that, Tara." Sam turned his face away. "I managed to get away, that's all you need to know."

"That night wasn't the first time you met him, was it, Sam?" I went to him and unable to stop myself, I held him. I felt his body shake.

Sam cleared his throat. "No." Then, he held me back. Tightly he pressed my body against his, as if he wanted to get rid of fear, to stop himself from being shaken.

Then there was silence.

I didn't dare to move. I didn't dare to break a moment of tenderness between us.

Sam Merlotte, my boss, a man with not so many words, who had layer upon layer of secrets. A man, who was able to shift his shape into a dog, once had been almost been the Faun's victim. He must have been very young back then.

"I am sorry, Tara," his voice was somber, as he broke up the embrace. "I should've told you earlier." He drew a chair and asked me to sit down. "The woman I told you about, she came to me at the beginning of this month," he also drew a chair and sat down in front of me. "I don't know how she found me, she just did. She said she would stay in Bon Temps for awhile, until her matter is over. I asked her for how long, she only laughed. She knew I couldn't wait to get rid of her, but a little bit hospitality wouldn't hurt anybody. After all, she was the one who made me what I am now.

"I was eighteen, Tara. I had to leave the foster home, where I had been living and start my own life. I met her in Jackson, Mississippi fourteen years ago. I worked in a bar as an all-round helper. She came to the bar one day, a beautiful woman, who turned every man's head in the bar. But she had eyes only on me. I was very proud, but also nervous. I mean, I was young, inexperienced and working as a helper, and she was a beautiful older woman and the way she dressed up and the car she drove, she was definitely a rich lady.

"Almost every day she came to the bar, talking to me, buying me dinner and on the seventh day, she asked me if I wanted to learn to drive. I could use her car. My head was almost exploding with pride when I saw the other men look at me in awe.

"So, I went with her, learned how to drive her car, made-out with her in the car and took her home. She had a beautiful big house in an secluded location. No houses were around her place and she had a huge open kitchen that she used to entertain her guests. I thought we would go straight to her room and you know, continue what we were doing in the car, but I was wrong. She said, we should take it a bit slow, but I may sleep at her place if I wanted.

"I spent seven days there. I didn't go to work; I believe I forgot I had a job. We did nothing, but be lazy. We would eat, drink, swim or watch TV. In between, we made out; but she always refused to continue, I didn't know why. It was as if she made me hot and ready, but then she let me down. It drove me crazy and I wanted her more and more.

"Until the seventh day. She danced around the table, which was covered with food, and poured the wine on her body. She asked me to lick the wine, which I did gladly. Then, she started singing and taking off her clothes, my clothes, until we were both naked. She continued pouring the wine on her body and I continued licking it until I was drunk from the wine and the lust.

"She asked me to lie on the table and she started kissing me. 'It's time, Sam,' she said. 'You are ready now, my precious gift.' I thought, 'Hell, yeah. I've been ready for a week.'

"Then I heard the sound of hooves. At the beginning I thought I was too drunk so that I heard things. Before I could ask or do anything, she tied my hands with rope to the table leg. It was my first time, you know, and for me what she's doing to me was weird, but I read and watched some porn before, so I thought it was a kind of kinky game some women liked and started to like it too.

"The sound of hooves was getting closer, and she continued dancing. I asked her to stop, because she started to freak me out. Instead of doing what I asked, she said something in a language I didn't understand. That was when I saw the Faun. He was standing at my feet, with his cock standing like a club. He grabbed my feet before I could do anything else and pull me towards him. I screamed and with all my might, I tried to escape. Before he managed to...," Sam closed his eyes. "…anyway, I shifted my shape into a snake, bit him on the shoulder and got the hell out of there."

"And the money you stole?"

"I returned two days later, cleaned out her safe and left Mississippi for good." He took a deep breath. "When she came to me, I knew I had to leave Bon Temps as soon as I could. She never came alone, Tara. The Faun is with her, hiding somewhere until the time comes."

"What does it have to do with me? Why was I in your car?"

He got up, opened his safe box and took out a piece of paper. "I put you as the manager of Merlotte's and to run the business until I return." He pushed the paper to me and pointed somewhere on the bottom of some lines. There were two signatures, his and mine. "You were taking me to Shreveport Haven. I was leaving Bon Temps that night."

"Jesus!"

"Everything went well as I had planned that night. We closed earlier and then we drove to Shreveport. You were very happy and chatty, chattier than normally. I guess you were nervous about the new situation. You asked me to tell Sookie and Arlene because you didn't know how to do it. You were new and suddenly were promoted as the manager. Bon Temps would be in an uproar with gossip that you and I had something. I said I'd take care of it. Hh, you didn't even notice that I was nervous as well and felt guilty. I felt like I had abandoned the city I love in its time of need."

"Who saw the Faun first, you or I?"

"You," he stared at me deeply. "It was strange."

"What do you mean?"

"That you could see him, I mean in his true shape. You were screaming and shouting when you saw him chasing the woman and…." He bit his lips. Somehow, I appreciated that he didn't continue. I didn't want to have that image reappeared in front of me. By the love of God and all saints that I believe in, once is enough.

"I am sorry, Tara, I should've stayed there that night. But I was terrified and unable to think straight anymore. I knew only one thing; I had to leave Bon Temps as soon as possible. I waited until the paramedic left to take my bag and was about to leave, when Godric stopped me."

"Godric?"

Sam nodded. "He gave me two choices, to help him to catch the Faun or to be taken to the police office."

"Godric knew all along you were there and he didn't tell me?"

"I asked him not to. I said I would help him, if he kept what happened there a secret. He agreed. Lately he said he didn't want to keep the secret anymore and he let me go from the deal. He wanted to tell you before you could remember what happened, but I begged him not to. I simply couldn't find the strength to tell you about that night, Tara. I am really sorry."

Again, we were quiet.

It was strange for me that I could be this calm after what I had heard. I felt somehow relief that the pieces of puzzle were now complete. I wasn't sure if it was what happened that night, but it all made sense. Andy couldn't find other DNA, except Sam's and mine, because there was nobody else. It was Sam and me in the car.

I remembered Godric said about knowing those who might get involved in the accident, but he didn't want to tell me. He wanted me to find it out myself, by paying attention to the surrounding and the little things I saw or heard.

"What about Andy?" I asked him.

"I don't know. I swear, Tara. I have nothing to do with it. We promised to see each other on the bridge and I went there first to find my own traces. I wanted to get rid of them before Andy saw them."

"You said you were going to run away again."

"I did and I was. When I saw the bridge, I thought that was my last chance to leave Bon Temps without anybody noticing it. That's when the Faun appeared out of nowhere and attacked me. It looked like he was ordered to guard Bon Temps. Everybody can go in, but they can't go out."

"What do you think happened to Andy?"

Sam shook his head. "I don't know."

I went straight to the small kitchen as I returned to the restaurant to find Godric, standing beside the empty dishwasher. I threw myself in his arms and held him tight. "Thank you, Godric," I whispered. "Sam told me everything."

He held me back. "My Darling Tara, you've acted strange tonight. I am not sure if I like it."

Tears fell on my cheeks. God, what have I done to deserve such a loving creature like this man? I released my hug and wiped off my tears. "I have to go, Godric."

He looked at me with his big pale grey eyes softly and tenderly. Then, he smiled. "I'll see you when I see you, Tara. And when I see you, you will never turn your face away from me again."

xxxxxx


	17. Blood Related

Chapter seventeen

**Blood Related  
**

Jason didn't like the idea that we went to the La Vie Hotel. I didn't like it either, but I had promised my mother. The hotel had a reputation as one hour hotel and it seemed he didn't want people had strange ideas about him and me going to that hotel.

It was around 12 o'clock when Sam decided to close Merlotte's. Except for my mother and three others, Merlotte hadn't had many customers tonight. Sam pressed my hands as I said goodnight. "Thanks, Tara," he said.

"I thank you too, Sam."

Godric stood in front of Merlotte's door. The red and yellow lights that circled the word Merlotte reflected on his pale skin. He didn't approach me; he didn't even talk to me. His hard stare told me more than enough that he understood what I was doing.

I wished I hadn't taken this sudden approach and had the guts to tell him straight away. I was certain about saying goodbye to him; I already had done that, I just couldn't tell myself to say the words to him. Had it been the right decision? Perhaps not. I knew I enjoyed and felt comfortable being with him. I also knew I wanted to hear his story about his turning. I just didn't know if I would be able to face the real goodbye once this case was over.

I wiped off the tears that fell on my cheek. I am really sorry, Godric….

"Hey, are you okay, Tara?" Jason's voice made me turn my face away. He didn't need to know I was crying.

"Yeah, why?"

"You look a bit strange since you came from Sam's trailer. Was everything okay back there?"

"Yeah, I got what I need to know."

Then, we were quiet. The sound of the car's engine filled the gap between us.

"Is everything okay with Godric?"

"Yeah, yeah. Why shouldn't it be?"

"Jeez, I don't know, Tara. Sookie acted the same way when she broke up with Bill. You're not breaking up with Godric, are you?"

To be able to do that, we have to have a relationship first. I didn't even know what I was to Godric. His fangbanger? His 'Darling'? Somebody who reminded him to his queen?

"Girls are strange sometimes."

"Oh, really? I thought you understood girls…I mean, you have had a lot of them."

"Well…yeah, I've had quite a few…"

Quite a few? If I had a party, and I was allowed to invite all Jason's ex girlfriends or his one-night stands… I believed I would need two Community Center buildings to have them all.

"It doesn't mean that I understand them," Jason added quickly. "I mean, once I had a girlfriend and I thought everything was going good between us…then, the next thing I knew, she broke-up with me. She said, it was too intense, too serious and she wanted to slow down a bit. So I said, yeah, okay. And guess what, a month later, I received a wedding invitation from her. She married a guy she'd just met two weeks before. Weird, eh?"

Was he trying to tell me that I had made a non-understandable decision?

"It gives a man a strong hit on his ego, I can tell you. I mean, am I not husband material or something? I have a job and my own house. I can pay my bills and support a wife or children. I ain't bad looking…"

"You're a handsome guy, Jay." I said, smiling.

Jason grinned. "You never said that before."

I laughed. "Let's just say, I didn't want to make your already bloated head get bloated."

Jason laughed. "Hoyt said, you have a sharp tongue…I never really paid attention until about a week ago, more or less."

Jason started paying attention to me? That's new….and around ten days ago; I had started sleeping with Godric.

Godric must have brought out the best part of me. Jason and I knew each other from our childhood. He always treated me like a sister and I'd always dreamed of him as my prince charming. Never once had he looked at me the way a man would look at a woman he desired. And if he started paying attention to me at the same time Godric and I had started our 'relationship', then it must have been good.

I turned around to catch Merlotte's neon sign. I wanted to see a glimpse of Godric. Too late, it had already been left far behind. I turned around and sat straight, looking at the road in front of us.

"I don't mean to tell you what to do, Tara. But what I know, I hang on to things or people that make me feel good."

"Thanks, Jay."

"You hang on there, Tara. You'll get there; you're a clever girl, I am sure you will."

I kissed his cheek. "You're very kind, Jay."

He put his arm around me and pulled me near. "You're my sister's friend. I don't want to see you unhappy again."

We stopped in front of La Vie Hotel. The 'L' from La Vie was hanging down and the rest of the word was on and off flickering. In the day time, this hotel looked already deserted and now, when its surrounding was not that bright, it looked somehow scary.

"It's a miracle that this rotten hole still survives," said Jason. "Somebody could pay me to spend a night here; I still would say 'no'."

"Me neither,"

"What is she doing here anyway?"

"She said she joined a kind of rehabilitation group and coming home is one of the program's steps."

"I hate those kinds of steps," Jason closed the car door. "Either you do it or you don't. There's no rehabilitation shit that will help you, if you don't want to do it from your own will. Look at you. You tried to stop smoking and how many books about quitting smoking have you read already? Still, you smoke like a chimney."

"Well, thanks a lot for the support!" I said.

"Sorry, you have to hear it somehow." Jason grinned.

The man on the lobby muttered about 'respectable hotel' when we asked him about my mother's room. With sour face he told us he didn't accept loud noises in the middle of the night like this.

My mother didn't look quite happy when she saw Jason standing behind me. She and Jason had a long history of despising each other. She didn't appreciate his interfering in her ways of handling me; Jason hated her. As simple as that.

"Jason."

"Lettie-Mae."

My mother pulled me inside and slammed the door in front of Jason's face. "I thought you would come alone."

"To this hotel? In the middle of the night? I am not that crazy."

"You did it the other night."

Yeah, but the other night I had Godric's fresh blood running on my vein and I hadn't stepped inside the hotel.

My mother took a deep breath. "Never mind, he won't understand it anyway."

"Don't talk about Jason like that, Mum." I said, pulling my hand. "He's a good person."

She smiled. "You're right, Sweetie. Wait here, there's something I want to show you." She left me to the other room.

I looked around. I hadn't had a chance to enter her room when I drove her here. Godric had been waiting for me, and I hadn't wanted to wait for another second longer to be with him.

This room had seen its best time. The paint on the walls was cracking and on the corner there was a big brown line from the roof to the floor. The roof must have leaked and the water from the rain had entered. The lamps on the wall were blurry, either from its fade color or dirt. The set of table and chairs – the only luxury in this room, was clean. On the table there was even a bouquet of flowers and fruit, which was arranged beautifully.

My mother had rented a suite room. From where did she get the money? This hotel wasn't exactly state of the art, but still it took money to stay in this kind of room. As far as I knew her, she didn't have money and in her life, never once had she worked. It was always either the government or some stupid man who paid for her expenses.

And why did it take her so long to get whatever she wanted to get? What the fuck was she doing?

I didn't like this.

Godric said I should listen to my body. And my body told me to get the fuck out of there. I went to the door and my hand reached out for the handle when I heard her voice,

"Leaving already, Tara?"

I turned around and put on my best smile. "No…I want to ask Jason to come in."

"Let him stay outside for a while. It won't be long." She had an envelope and a letter opener in her hand. Just like the other things in this room, the knife looked old and used. Its blade was yellowish and its tip was black.

"I received a letter from your father," she came to me. "It's for me, but I think you want to read it too."

"My father…?"

She smiled. "Strange, isn't it? After all these years…"

"You never mentioned him. I thought he was dead already."

"Oh, no, my dear. He's alive."

Before it was 'wonderful' and now 'my dear'? To be honest, she scared me a little bit. I had a feeling as if I had been talking to somebody else, to Callisto or somebody like her, but not my mother.

"Come, don't you want to open it?" Her hand was shaking as she reached out the envelope and the knife.

I looked at her skeptically. I had seen that shaking hand before. She shook like that when she needed her alcohol fix.

"What's the matter, dear? Don't you want to know what he said?"

"Yeah, sure." I took the envelope.

"Use the knife, dear. I want the envelope neat and clean."

I'd do it if she stopped using 'dear'. I turned around the envelope, there's neither sender's name nor address. I looked at her. "There's no name on it."

"Oh, he signed it with P.J…you'll see it on the front side, left upper corner."

I turned the envelope again, yeah, there's a P.J…. "Ouch!" I screamed something stuck me. My mother had scratched my hand with the knife. "Mum! Please, be careful!"

"Sorry, dear, I just wanted to give you the knife. Oh no…you're bleeding…moment, I'll take something to wipe out the blood."

I looked at my hand. It's only a scratch. But my mother was already gone. I followed her. "Mum, it's okay…" I stopped my steps as I saw her room. Her room was as empty as the other room. There were a bed, a table and a small commode. But there was a familiar item on the commode, which I knew for sure, didn't belong to my mother. It was a golden bracelet with a red stone on it…Callisto's. I went to the commode and took the bracelet. "Where did you get this?" I pointed to the bracelet.

"It's mine…"

"Don't lie, Mum! I know it's not yours!"

"I swear…"

"You know, Mum…for just a moment I thought you had changed, that you were serious about changing your life …of, fuck! Nothing is changed…"

"Tara, honey..." she came to me, I moved backward. "It was given to me; I swear…I didn't steal it…"

"Oh yeah, who gave this to you?"

"A friend."

"Really? What is the name of this friend?"

"What is this? Interrogation?"

"The hell it is!"

My mother wiped her mouth with her trembling hand. "Lytta. Her name is Lytta."

"Yeah, right!"

"You can read it on the bracelet! Tara, please…believe me!"

I looked at the bracelet. On the inside part, there's standing 'LYTTA'.

"Believe me, now? Can you please wipe off your blood with this handkerchief?" She gave me a handkerchief. A nice ivory color handkerchief and from the light that fell on it, it looked like it's from silk.

I moved away from her. "This Lytta…is it her first or last name?"

"What is this?" my mother asked, almost screaming. "Why is it so important? She's somebody I know, isn't that enough?"

The door was wide open. Jason looked at us, "Is everything okay, Tara…? Hey, put away that knife!" He went to my mother and snatched the knife. "Tara, what happened with your hand?"

I looked at my hand and saw that the scratch. Somehow, it looked like it's getting bigger. Or was it only in my eyes?

"Come, Tara! We need to go!"

"No, no… you may not go…not before you wipe off that blood…"

"Are you out of your mind?" asked Jason, looking at my mother.

"It's not your business!" She yelled at Jason.

I looked at the bracelet and then at my mother. "Answer me, Mum. Is this Lytta her first or last name?"

"Of course it's her first name!" she said and when our eyes met, she realized, she had said something wrong. "No, no….it's her last name…"

"I got it, Mum." I said. I threw the letter to the ground. "You never change. You never will." Then, I walked out of her room.

"Tara, Baby…listen to me…okay, I am sorry, I took that bracelet…" she tried to take my hand, but Jason pushed her away from me. "I need money, Tara. The money that she gave wasn't enough…"

"And you stole from her…"

"Please, Tara…it's my only chance…"

"And you blew it, Mum!"

"Tara, PLEASE!"

But I didn't listen to her anymore. I ran. Stupid, it's very stupid of me to fall into her trap. I should've known it when she appeared out of the blue in front of my house. She had sounded completely drunk when she called me. There's no way that somebody could be sober in days and then have a completely different personality the way my mother did. She kept on screaming my name, but I didn't turn around. I had to get out of here. I heard some people yelling at her to be quiet and she yelled back at them.

Jason drove the car away from the hotel.

"I should've listened to you, Jay." I said. "I shouldn't have come here."

Jason touched my shoulder. "It's not your mistake, Tara. I know that you love your mother – I don't know how you do that, but you do. I thought she had changed too. She fools us, Tara."

"Yes, she did."

"What did she want, by the way?"

I turned around the bracelet. "She said my father had sent her a letter."

"You believe her?"

"For a moment, yes."

"I am sorry, Tara."

"Me, too, Jay." I looked at the red stone and felt my skin crawl. The color of the stone looked like Callisto's eyes, when they turned very dark – almost black.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah, yeah. I have to return this bracelet to its owner tomorrow and apologize for my mother."

"You know the owner?"

"Yeah, it's Callisto's."

"Lettie-Mae knows Callisto?"

Yeah, I wondered the same thing too.

"You still want to accompany me to the red bridge tomorrow?"

"Yeah, let's do that. I want everything to get over with."

"Okay, I'll pick you up around 9?"

I nodded. Yeah, let's do that. It's better to end with a horror than a horror without end.

Xxxxx

Bang, bang, bang!

A loud noise made me jump off my bed. Had Jason come already? I looked at the watch. It's still six o'clock in the morning. Who the fuck dared to come this early in the morning like this? That person certainly had a death wish!

Bang, bang, bang! "Wake up, you lazy pig!"

Mum?

I dragged myself to the door and opened it. My mother – the original genuine cunt. She stood in front of the door, her hair was a mess, her eyes were red, her dress was improperly buttoned and from her mouth came out the smell of a full packed bar on Saturday Night.

"Where is he? Where is that son of a bitch?"

"Jason never sleeps here, you know that Mum!"

She spat on the ground. I cringed when I saw it. I hated crawling and scrubbing the floor, especially if I did it because of somebody else's misdeed.

"I don't care where that brainless, useless, idiotic moron sleeps!" she went straight to my bedroom. "I know that you can't keep a man, dead or alive!" Again, she spat.

Since when, when a relationship went bad, it is always the fault of the woman, or the woman can't keep a man? What do they think a man is? A pair of shoes or something? What about the man? Why does nobody say that the man can't keep a woman?

Heh, there's no use to talk against a drunkard!

"Your dead ferret, where is he?"

"What's got Godric to do with this? By the way, Mum, it's six o'clock in the morning…thank you, very much!"

"I knew it! Oh, I wish I didn't listen to her and tell you straight away that you don't match with that dead ferret!"

"Mum, that's racist!"

"You call me racist? I'll tell you what racist is…"

Oh, shit! I shouldn't have said that. I knew, I would have to listen to the history of Louisiana Cotton plantation and how our great long line had suffered from the slavery….I put my hands on my ears. Yeah, yeah, I'd heard it before and I read dozens of books about it. I knew, Mum. Jeez, guess what Mum, my boyfriend – yeah, yeah the one you called 'dead ferret' had been a slave too. He's white and a slave, but he hadn't complained about his situation, he had fought back by educating himself and that's what I was going to do. I wouldn't listen to anybody who wanted to bring me down. So, "SHUT THE FUCK UP!"

My mother's mouth was wide open, but nothing came out of it.

"I knew, Mum, our ancestor was a slave and that I am named after a plantation, where my great-great-great grandfather, who had just arrived from Africa, started the rebellion and blah, blah, blah. I heard it before and I am not about to hear it again. That was the past, Mum. I am not going to blame anybody for my situation anymore. So now you listen to me, either you tell me what you want in a proper manner, or get the fuck out of here!"

"I was told that I would have difficulty convincing you to give me your blood…"

"What do you need my blood for?"

"Because you're special…you're a gifted child, just like your aunt…" my mother wiped off her nose and she was going to spit again when I said,

"Mum, I warn you, if you spit again, you will not leave this house without scrubbing the whole floor!"

It was enough that my house had been damaged by Godric and the Faun (although, Godric had kept his promise, he had fixed my living room the night he slept here for the first time). I really didn't want to have her spit all over the place.

She sniffed. "You and your aunt…oh, I remember the day your grandmother said proudly to me, 'Finally, our line is not broken'. Yes, I won't forget that day, my daughter – the gifted one. My sister – the gifted one…now look where she ends up….mental hospital! And you…heh, if you continue your relationship with your dead ferret, you will end up not in the mental hospital, but in a coffin!"

Too late, Mum…I had slept in a coffin, not his, but still…

"Your ancestor was brought from Africa, carrying something with him, the long great line of a seer, somebody who can see between worlds, beings that only can be imagined by many. Your Aunt can see them, but nobody believes her. I don't know what happened to you, but you can see them. Oh yes, you can see them, you can even see them better than your aunty did. When you were a child you used to tell me that Adele's guest looked funny. He always dressed up in sparkling cloth…oh, you should see your Aunt's face when she heard that. 'I am not crazy! My niece sees him too! Tell me, Tara, did he talk to you?' Then, you and she talked for hours in low voices and shared each other stories, as if it was something precious. IGNORING ME!

"But I didn't let you. Oh, no, not you. I made sure you never had contact with your aunt or your grandmother. If there's somebody who should continue the line then it should be me! Me! Lettie-Mae Reynolds-Thornton! Not a useless pig, who ruins my future! Yes, you have ruined me, my body and my future! I was going to be the next supermodel when I had you…when I started to get fat and lost all my contract….!" She took the vase, which was on the table and threw it against the wall. Brakk! Its little pieces spread all over the floor, just like my heart.

"P.J Thornton…that useless pig! He ran away as soon as he found out that I was pregnant…yes, it wasn't me who drove your father away from you, it was you! You! Always you! You always think it was me, didn't you?" she sneered. "No, Darling…it was you! You…worthless piece of shit, who can't even help her own mother to start over again!

"And you think Adele Hale was a saint…Ask yourself now, who was the man you saw in her house? And why do your precious friends not resemble their grandfather or grandmother? Yeah…you clever one, ask yourself! I know you call me whore behind my back because I slept around, but at least I am not married compared to Adele Hale Stackhouse!"

I felt the lump in my throat growing bigger. With all my might, I tried to hold my tears. My mother had always this kind of breakout, but it had never been so full of hatred like now. I knew that I wasn't a wanted child, that I was a kind of accidental child, but I'd never felt so low and so unwanted like now.

_You are a special person, Tara. Don't let anybody else tell you otherwise._

Godric's voice suddenly filled my ears. I took a deep breath. Yes, I won't let anybody to tell me otherwise, not even my mother….no, _especially_ not my mother!

"What do you want, Mother?"

"Your blood, Sweetheart…give me a drop of your blood…if you can give your dead…I mean your boyfriend your blood, you can certainly give your mother your blood…your own mother…, don't you, Sweetie…"

"Why do you need my blood?"

"I don't know why, Honey. That was the agreement. I came here, got your blood and then I got paid…that's it…it was supposed to be easy…"

"Who? Who needs my blood and for what?"

"Oh, what do you care? You don't want to give it anyway!" she walked to the door. "Now I have to find a way to get away from this shit…like always…caused by you!"

"Mother…" I grabbed her hand.

She pushed my hand away. "I don't need your help! I never need your help!" she spat on the floor beside my feet. "You piece of shit! I wish you had never been born!"

Brakk! She slammed the door as she walked out.

I fell to the floor. It is something to think that your own mother doesn't want you, but to hear it straight from her mouth, it is something else. My cheeks were wet from the tears. She was drunk, I told myself. She didn't mean what she had just said. It was alcohol that forced her to do that. Later, when she got sober she would regret it. Yes, she would….

I wiped off my tears. Stop it, Tara. The other voice told me. She had done it many times; she said sorry, but she never meant it. Set yourself free from her. If you love her, set yourself free. An alcoholic can only be cured if she is given a border, until this line and not an inch more. Set yourself free.

I held my legs tight. I wish I could. She is my mother after all. As much as I hate her, I can never be free from her.

Yes, you can. You're special. You are strong. Trust yourself and your instinct, Tara.

"Godric…" I sighed. Godric's words rang in my ears, as if they didn't want to know I was trying to say goodbye to him. Was it because of his blood running in my vein or was it because his words were true? Was I really that special to him?

Slowly, I got up. Maybe I was, maybe I wasn't. But one thing I knew, I would not let these feelings influence me or rule me. I had let them do that to me for a long time and it's about the time I was the one who took charge of my own feelings.

I had something important to do today. I had to find the only man who could help me solving the mystery of the other person in the car. Yes, Sam had told me it was him, but I wasn't convinced, at least not enough that I could take his story.

I would not let my emotion take control over me again. My mother would not ruin my day, not today, not tomorrow. Not ever.

xxxxx


	18. Andy's Tale

**Author's Note: **I dedicate this chapter to Actor Chris Bauer, who plays Andy Bellefleur in True Blood so beautifully and amazingly. I know, he doesn't and probably won't read this, but I just want him to know I adore his version of Andy. I hope I will be able to see his other works in the future.

Thanks to Northwoman who works hard for this chapter, knowing that there are a lot of mistakes to correct.

Update information: I submitted a story to the **'Valentine's Fae Tales'.** You will be able to read the story as soon as I am allowed to publish it.

* * *

Chapter Eighteen

**Andy's Tale**

Jason didn't say a word when he saw the pieces of the vase on the floor. He didn't need to. I could see the same expression he had given me when we were children and I ran from my mother's anger. His blue eyes were darkened and his mouth formed a straight line.

"Are you ready?" he asked.

I put Callisto's bracelet around my wrist. I didn't want to risk that my mother would come here and take it. I nodded. "Don't you have to go to work today?"

"I called in sick. My boss complained everybody is sick today. Keith, Hoyt and the other guys didn't show up either."

"What is wrong with everybody? Are they still at Callisto's place?"

"I hope not. I don't want to find any excuses for Hoyt again, if you know what I mean. His mother scares me."

"Really? I thought you could handle her."

"Yeah, but if you saw how her eyes get smaller and smaller every time I tell her a story, as if she tried to remember the story and compared it with the stories I told before. I am so afraid sometimes that she found out that I lied because it wouldn't only be Hoyt who got into trouble. Me too!"

"How many times, exactly, did you cover Hoyt's ass?"

"Enough."

Enough to be afraid to Mrs. Fortenberry? Wow, he must have done it quite often! No wonder that Hoyt stuck like glue to him!

"What did your mother come for?" Jason asked as we were on the main road to Shreveport.

"To unload," I tried to smile, but her words came again without warning. Tears ran down on my cheek before I was able to hide them.

"One day, she'll be sorry, mark my words, Tara." He gave me a Kleenex, which he took from his jeans' pocket. I saw the knife from the hotel, which was covered by his shirt.

I wiped away my tears. "Why do you carry around that knife?"

"Oh, because, I like it; don't worry, it's dull. How's your hand by the way?"

I looked at my hand. The wound was closed already, but somehow I saw a blue line spreading away from it. Well, maybe it was only my eyes because I didn't feel any pain.

"Say, Jason…did you ever see Gran's guest, I mean when we were children. The one who sometimes played with Sookie?"

"Jeez…that's long time ago," he touched his red panther cap. "I don't remember."

I looked at him. My mother was right. The older Jason and Sookie were, the clearer their features were. I had to say, they didn't resemble any of the Stackhouses. Yes, they looked like their father, but their father didn't quite look like any other Stackhouses either.

"I sometimes heard Gran talking to a man in her room, but I never saw anybody," Jason looked at me. "Gran said I was hearing things. You know what; I believed I heard things too, when somebody told me not to dance with the other guys at Merlotte's the other day."

"Was that the reason you were standing, watching the people dancing?"

Jason nodded. "I don't know, it was weird for me, I can tell you. I mean, your friend is…wuh, hot! But I don't have the feeling I have when I want to…," he stopped and turned his face away. "You know."

"Yeah, I know. To get laid, you mean?"

He swallowed his spit, "Yeah."

I turned my face away. I cursed Godric for making me have the same loose mouth as he did. I had just made Jason feel uncomfortable…heh, that's something.

Suddenly I was pulled to the front as Jason made a sudden break. A squeaky sound of the tires of other cars and curses directed at Jason soon filled the air. Idiot, they said. Are you out of your fucking mind? Use your eyes, moron!

"Yeah, yeah, sorry," said Jason to nobody.

"What's wrong?" I asked after I had managed to breathe normally.

Jason pointed at the field beside the red bridge.

In the middle of the abandoned field, among the wild grass yellow leaves, a woman was standing. I had to press my eyes tightly to see who she was.

Imogene Miller.

We jumped out of the car and waited for other cars to pass by before we were able to cross the street. We ran to the field and couldn't believe our eyes when we were closer to where Imogene was standing.

Her hair was messy, her skirt was torn apart and her blouse was half-unbuttoned; we could see that she wore a very old fashioned bra – a maidenform one, made of cotton, covering the whole breasts without any lace or whatsoever. The cups were pointed and it had around 1 inch size straps. Her face was pale and the irises of her eyes were big, so big that they looked like they were black. . In her hand was a knife.

But that wasn't the thing that shocked us.

In front of her, sitting on the ground, wearing only underwear was Andy Bellefleur. His hands and feet were tied and on his mouth was grey tape duct. He looked at us and with his eyes he begged us to help him.

"Imogene…" I called her as softly as I could. I didn't want to shock her or make her panic.

She looked at me and smiled. "Hi, Tara…" Her smile made her face look sinister. "Did you see my sister Savannah? I've been looking for her…."

"No…she's at home, maybe? Do you see her, Jason? At home?" I gave Jason a sign to play along.

"Yeah, yeah…sure…"

She turned to Jason and suddenly she screamed.

I took that chance to grab the knife and throw it away somewhere, Jason reached out his hand. "Easy, Immy…it's just me…Jason Stackhouse…remember?"

She screamed louder and louder.

Jason grabbed her. And Imogene didn't scream anymore. Her eyes were suddenly closed and she fell to the ground. "I didn't do anything!" said Jason, as if he wanted to explain what had happened.

"It's okay, Jay… "I came to Andy and removed the duct tape.

"…motherfucker!" Andy screamed.

"Sorry…"

Jason cut the rope and helped Andy to get up. "What happened, Man? I've been looking for you since yesterday."

"Get me out of here!" He said and pointed at Imogene, who was still unconscious. "And that crazy bitch, get her away from me!

Jason carried Imogene and put her on the back seat. Andy cursed and spat and said repeatedly, there was no way that he would sit beside her. We ignored the passer-by who looked at curiously. Andy even scolded them, "WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING AT! MIND YOUR DAMN FUCKING BUSINESS!"

Jason and I looked at each other through the mirror and agreed not to say anything that might cause Andy to be more and more enraged. We decided to go to my house. Andy didn't want to have Imogene at his place and Jason seemed reluctant. Jason put Imogene carefully on the sofa and asked me to use a blanket to cover her.

"Say, Tara…" said Andy. "…do you have a t-shirt or bathrobe I can borrow?"

That would be difficult. Andy wasn't exactly my size.

"Give me your house key. I'll go fetch something for you."

"You're kidding, right?" Andy opened his arms, "Where shall I keep my keys, you genius?"

"Yeah…right. I'll get some of mine. Probably will be too small…"

"Jason!" I interrupted him. "Go!"

"All right, all right!" Jason went out.

I made a pot of coffee and we sat in the kitchen. From time to time I looked at Imogene, just in case she was conscious. I had never imagined there would be a day that I would sit in my kitchen with only-underwear-wearing Andy Bellefleurn and an unconscious Imogene Miller in the living room. Strange things had happened in Bon Temps indeed.

"What happened, Andy?"

"People are going crazy, that's what!" he said, sipping his coffee. "They don't have any respect for authority anymore!" Then, he went on about how the 'people' complained and moaned that the police never came on time and called them bad names, but when they needed help, whom did they call? The police. I forced myself to listen to him. He needed to let out steam, probably then, he could tell me what was really going on.

"If my family didn't have properties here, I really would leave Bon Temps!"

"I'm really sorry for what happened to you, Andy. But how did you end up being tied like that?"

"I was ambushed."

"You what?"

"The other day, you know, when I came to talk to you at Merlotte's and people acted like morons, I told myself, 'Well, Andy Bellefleur, you better stay. This isn't like a normal day. Bad things might happen.' So, I stayed. It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be, but I had a very strange feeling that my neighbors behaved like that. I know they were morons, especially Jason and his friends, but it was more than the usual. I also noticed that Jason didn't drink as much as normally and he seemed to be distant with his friends. That was strange, okay, people don't always have lust to get into a party mood, but it's Jason that we're talking about here."

"I think that was strange too."

"You see," Andy smiled. "Anyway, I didn't think much about it, until I saw what some of them did on the road. Some cars were parked under trees and moved in rhythm…you know. I said to myself, 'What the heck? This can't be true.' I stopped my car and went to them. I wanted to tell them that it is indecent behavior what they are doing. The nearer I got to them, the more certain I was about what they were doing. You couldn't mistake the noises they were making. So I took out my notebook and started writing the car's registration number, when the car's window opened. It was Jane Bodehouse and two men. Two men!" his eyes were getting bigger.

"'Hi, Officer Andy,' she said. She winked several times. 'You look good with that tie.'

"'She likes ties, Andy.' One of the men said. It was Dr. Jeffrey Jones from Bon Temps Morgue.

"'Oh, J.J…you make me blush…'

"Then, they laughed and continued doing whatever they had been doing and ignored me completely.

"Before I could do anything about them, I heard some loud laughs and screaming behind me. I turned around and I saw Hoyt Fortenberry chasing and being chased by two women. I rubbed my eyes. It couldn't be true. Hoyt Fortenberry? What was going on here?

"Then I saw Tina Rogers, the office's receptionist, taking off her blouse and saying that she was so horny she could use some fucks."

"She said what?"

Andy swallowed his coffee. "Now you can imagine my reaction."

Tina Rogers was Sheriff Office's receptionist. A nice girl, with black frame glasses and always tied her hair into two ponytails. As far as I knew, she always wore the most conservative blouse I'd ever seen and it was always buttoned-up to her neck. I'd never heard her using profanity and if she heard somebody else using it, she always looked uncomfortable and now I heard about her using words that I normally used?

"So, I thought," Andy continued, "I'd better leave and try to investigate them tomorrow. I wrote down all the car license numbers and went home. In the morning, I went straight to Tina's desk and asked her what she had done last night. I said that as a person who works for Sheriff Office she has the responsibility to maintain the order and the dignity of the office. She covered her face and ran out. I followed her and found her sitting on the bank in the front yard, crying. She said she didn't remember what happened. She found herself in a truck, naked. Beside her was the truck driver, who then told her that he hoped they could do it again when he passed by Bon Temps. She wanted to report him for rape, because first, she didn't know who he was and she certainly wouldn't do such a thing with a stranger. Then, she realized she didn't know what was going on and she wondered if she also had done it with me or with anybody else. I said to her that she could believe me that we hadn't done it, but I didn't know about anybody else.

"She cried again and ran inside, took her belonging and went home.

"I wanted to follow her, but the Sheriff called me and asked me to go to his office. There I was told to stop my investigation on your case because there isn't enough evidence."

"Jason told me," I said.

"Yeah, sorry, Tara," said Andy. "I then called Jason and told him I would continue investigating and ask him if he's willing to help me. He said, yeah. We promised to see each other around the red bridge to check again. I might have missed something, anything.

"I was there, looking around, trying my best to find a clue. I found little things; I don't know if they are useful or not – you know, maybe they are, maybe they are not. I'll find out later. I almost gave up when I saw something strange. I saw footprint and hooves. 'Hooves' I said, 'I've never seen horses or goats in Bon Temps.' What is odd is that the hoof prints look much bigger than any hooves I've ever seen. But then, I might be mistaken. So I decided to follow the prints. If there's a hoof there's a farmer, right? I know everybody in Bon Temps it's just impossible that I don't know anybody who owns a goat.

"I don't know how far I walked, when the hoof prints were suddenly gone. Yes, there were no more prints. Instead, I saw a foot print. And I said, 'Somebody is running around without shoes…but here? On this field?' I turned around. There are many bushes in the field and from the looks of it; the bushes aren't safe for walking around without shoes. 'Weird,' I said. 'Really weird. This isn't the Bon Temps I know anymore.'

"'Deputy Sheriff,' suddenly I heard a woman's voice. I turned to the source of the voice, but before I could see who it was, something hit my head and everything went black," he pointed to his head. There was a little hill on that bald head. That must have been painful.

Jason arrived with a plastic bag. Inside were a t-shirt and a pair of shorts. He gave Andy the bag and poured himself a cup of coffee. I gave him a quick heads-up about what Andy had just told me.

"What happened then?" he asked.

"The next thing I know, I was under the bridge, tied to the poles wearing only my underwear. My clothes were being worn by…" he swallowed his spit, "Jane Bodehouse. She was there with some people, men and women."

"That…that…" Jason couldn't find a word. "Did she wear her perfume…you know, the 'stay away from me' perfume?"

Jane Bodehouse was a big strong woman, who was one of the Merlotte's regulars. She always wore tight clothes that showed her figure, which was not in her favour; and she wore perfume, too strong and too much that it would stay on you for days. We called her perfume 'stay away from me' perfume.

"What do you think?" Andy shot Jason a nasty look. "I wanted to scream for help when I saw Sam, but it was useless. Sam was too far away and the sound of the cars was too loud. I tried to talk to them, put some reason in their heads, but it was also useless. They even put tape on my mouth because they didn't want to hear me."

I took his hand and pressed it. It must have been a terrible experience for him.

Andy took a deep breath. "But that's not all. Suddenly, their eyes turned black, like Imogene's; they started dancing like crazy and…" he swallowed his coffee. "They did it in front of me."

"Did what?" asked Jason.

Andy rolled his eyes. "What else?"

"You mean…?" Jason formed a circle with one hand and put his index finger inside the circle with the other hand, a symbol of fucking. "Jesus! What's got into them?"

We were quiet. I didn't know much about Andy, but I believed Andy was one of those men who still valued traditional norms and values. I couldn't and didn't want to imagine how it must have felt for Andy to see them fucking in front of him.

"Then, somebody touched my shoulder. I had closed my eyes the whole time and tried to think something, anything that made me not hear all the noises. I even tried to sing our national anthem and recite the Preamble of our constitution…"

"You still remember that?"

"Jason!"

"Sorry…"

"It was Imogene. She was already in that condition, black eyed and messy. She asked me if she saw her sister. When I didn't answer – I couldn't answer with duct tape and all, she pointed at me with the knife. She said that if I didn't tell her where her sister was, she wouldn't hesitate to kill me.

"Swear to God, I've never felt so afraid like that moment. I was sure that I would die anytime soon. Then, a man came from behind her and…." Again, he swallowed his spit. "So, for the moment, I was safe."

"She did it there in front of you?"

Andy nodded.

Poor Andy. I looked at Imogene. She was still sleeping. I'd never liked the Millers, but strange, somehow I felt sorry for her. I knew, she's Bon Temps' queen of gossip, but I didn't believe that she would do such a thing, especially not in front of Andy or any other man in public.

"I didn't know how long it had been going on, when suddenly all of them stopped and walked away from me. It was as if they had been called by something…somebody. I was left alone there, the whole night. I tried not to fall asleep, but all those tensions and hunger defeated me and I fell asleep. When I woke up, I was already on the field, together with Imogene." He got up. "We have to get my clothes back. My notebook was in the pocket and also some stuff I picked from the crime scene."

I caught his hand. "No, Andy. You need some sleep, a real good sleep. After that, we can try to figure out what we want to do."

Andy looked at me. "We need the notebook, Tara."

I shook my head. "It can wait, Andy. We can wait."

Andy went to my room and reluctantly lay himself down on the bed. I closed the door softly and went to Jason who was looking at Imogene.

"What are we going to with her, Jay?"

"I don't know. It's strange," he said. "I feel somehow sorry for her."

Imogene moved restlessly. "Savvy…" she whispered. "Savvy…." Then, she woke up abruptly. "Savvy!" she screamed.

I came to her and held her hands. "Hi, Imogene…"

"Tara…." Her eyes were normal now, not black like before. She held me tightly. "Help me….help me find my sister…."

"We will find her, Imogene. I promise."

Her body was shaken and I could feel her fingers buried deep inside my shoulder. Suddenly she screamed. "Jason Stackhouse!"

Jason was perplexed. "Yes?"

Imogene let me go and looked down to herself. "Sweet Jesus, what…why….?" She looked at me. "What did you two do to me? This….I….."

I grabbed her hands. "Imogene, look at me. Look at me," I said, forcing her to look at me. "You are under a great shock. Now, listen…" I said again as she started to open her mouth. "Jason will take my clothes and you will wear my clothes, then you will drink a nice warm tea. I know it sounds silly, but it helps, trust me. Then, we will talk. All right? All right?"

Imogene nodded.

"Good. Jason…"

"I'm going, I'm going!"

After Imogene had changed her clothes and sipped some tea with a lot of sugar (she put 4 spoons of sugar in the cup) and she was calmer than before, Jason and I asked her the same question we asked Andy.

"I only remember going home with my little sister Savannah after drinking some wine at Merlotte's. Moment…yes, I remember something else. Bass, you know, Callisto – Miss Lyssa's butler came to our house. He had asked me before, when we were at Callisto's place if he was given the honor to pay us a visit," her cheek was blushed when she said that. "I think, why not, it's about time that Savannah gets to know such a nice gentleman as Bass."

I tried very hard not to roll my eyes and I saw Jason doing exactly the same thing. _It's about time?_ How old was Savannah Miller anyway? I believe she's about forty or older. Sure it's about fucking time that she separated herself from her sister, or the other way around!

"We talked for the whole evening, and then we went to bed."

"You and Bass?" asked Jason.

"No, silly!" Imogene blushed again. "Savannah and I of course."

"Of course," I tried not to smile.

"I saw you dancing with Sat last night."

"Who?"

"Sat, Callisto's god son."

"Ah, you mean Dennis." Her face got even redder. "We were. He's such a wonderful young man."

Again, I heard the word that Callisto used. Why did everything seem to be connected with Callisto. First, she came to me the day after the accident. That's quite fast. I knew she was the kind of women who was serious about her social engagements, but from where did she hear about the accident?

Doctor Fisher wasn't my private doctor. Okay, some doctors were very involved with their patients, but I didn't believe that he would provide psychological treatment without asking for any money. I had no health insurance or whatsoever…who paid the bill? Sam?

Then, my mother came. Obviously, she knew Callisto. I looked at the bracelet. Or Callisto knew her. How?

"Aaargh…," Imogene screamed.

"What?"

"The eyes…I remember the eyes!"

"What eyes?" asked Jason and I at the same time.

"I was dancing with Dennis and then I saw a pair of red lights in the dark. I went there to see what it was…I remember it looked like a pair of eyes, they were red…like those stones….that was it, before I found myself here, at your place, Tara Thornton!"

"I am not saying that I don't believe you, Imogene, but could it be that you drank too much the other night? I mean, I knew Callisto's place…."

"Tara Desiree Thornton!" Imogene stood up and raised her head. "I might enjoy some wine from time to time, but I have never in my life drunk wine more than I should."

_Desiree_? Jason mouthed my middle name, and then he gave me his stupid grin. _Desiree?_

I chose to ignore him. I never use that name and only a few older people knew my middle name. Desiree…what a name…it was given by my Grandmother. She said the name had been given to the Reynolds women who would carry the Reynolds ability and strength. I just wished that my grandmother had stopped smoking whatever she was smoking long before I was born so that I would at least have a less pompous name.

"You have to help me find my sister, Tara. Please…poor girl, what would she do without me?"

I didn't know how to help her or if I could help her at all.

Jason's face was twisted as he said, "We could go to Callisto's place and ask around, but to be honest, I don't want to go there. That place gives me the creeps. I don't think you should go there either, Tara, you don't know whom you'll meet there. With the crazy stories that go around, jeez, Tara, I am really afraid to think what might happen to you."

He made his point. Yes, we could go there…or we could wait for Sookie. If what Godric said was true, she could go into Imogene's mind and try to find out what else she had seen. I hope she would agree with it because it wouldn't be pleasant, not for her nor for Imogene.

Xxxxx

Andy woke up around three in the afternoon and insisted on going home. He looked much better than in the morning. He couldn't hide his feeling for being sexually offended by Imogene (at least that's what he murmured under his breath), but he had decided to do the best he could not to show it. Somehow I felt ashamed and sorry for Andy. I realized how badly I had treated him all these years and promised to myself after everything was over to treat him differently.

From Andy's place, we left to the Sheriff office. Imogene didn't want to go to her house, she didn't want to be alone, she said. Besides, she wanted to be there when we found her sister.

The office was wide open and empty. There was no single officer in the building. From the temporary cells in the back part of the building we heard some inmates screaming and hitting the iron bar. They were hungry. Nobody took care of them the whole day.

What was going on? There were only four people worked for the Sheriff office: The Sheriff himself, Andy, two other officers and Tina Rogers. Where were they?

Andy went straight to the Sheriff's bureau. Jason asked me to stay close to him. Imogene grabbed my hand tightly, it hurt. The screaming from the temporary jail was getting louder.

"Can we go, please?" asked Imogene. "I don't like jails."

Nobody likes jails.

"SHUT UP, WILL YOU?" Andy yelled at them.

For a moment the Sheriff's office was quiet, and then the noises started again. This time, it was even louder.

Andy came to us. In his hands were a blue folder and a gun. He gave the gun to Jason. "You can use this, can't you?"

"Yeah, yeah. Sure." He accepted the gun and shoved it into his jeans' crotch.

"Just in case," he said. "People are getting crazy out there; I don't want to take any risks. But don't use it until it's really necessary." Then, he said, "Let's get out of here."

We went straight to Merlotte's. Merlotte's was located in a strategic place. It was on a junction road that led us directly to Shreveport, just in case we needed to get out of Bon Temps. Although I wasn't sure if we could get out of Bon Temps, if what Sam said was correct. The Faun wouldn't let us.

Nobody had arrived yet. The kitchen was empty and Sam's trailer was closed. I wondered if he was in his trailer or already somewhere out there, waiting for the right moment to leave Bon Temps. I also wondered if Godric slept under Sam's trailer or in the coffin of Jean-Pierre.

I made them a pot of coffee and then we sat at one of the tables.

"This is weird," Andy said as he opened a blue thin paper folder, "Very weird. No, I don't believe it. It can't…no…"

"What?" The three of us looked at him.

"Your case file. I wonder why the Sheriff never showed this to me." He said.

"Sorry, Andy. You're talking in riddles."

"It's said here that your neck was broken."

"Was it? But well, I think it could happen if you fell from a bridge the way I did."

"I don't understand what the doctor has written here, but there's a note from the Sheriff and he said that there's a possibility that your neck injury was caused by a tremendous strength…you know, like somebody had snapped your neck."

"What?"

Andy pushed the folder and showed me the note. "It's the Sheriff's handwriting, all right. But why didn't he show it to me?" He scratched his bald head. "I guess…he's really getting old. He forgets a lot lately."

Sheriff Dearborne was the Sheriff of Bon Temps as long as I lived in Bon Temps. The people loved him; he was strict, but fair. Like other people, however, he got older and forgot here and there. I wasn't sure if he would be reelected again in the next election.

"The problem is," Andy continued, "you're getting well too fast. The doctor can't figure out what caused it."

The doctor…Doctor Fisher…"We can ask him," I said. "He told me to call him if I remember…." I stopped. Why had he told me that? I could understand that he was concerned about me…but why did he want to know what I remembered? Shouldn't I go to the police instead?

"Are you okay, Tara?"

"I am not sure," I said.

"Are there any x-ray pictures?" Imogene asked which made us turn to her. She knew such a word? "Oh, stop staring at me, people." She said. "I was a nurse, long time ago, before I came to Bon Temps to take care of my sister. I know, I've been out of work for some time, but I think I still remember how to read x-rays."

I gave her the folder. If she had been a nurse, why the fuck had she spent her days gossiping?

"Don't look at me like that, Tara Thornton. I know what you think of me, I know, I know, I sometimes talked badly about you and your friend, Sookie, it's a bad habit, what can I say?" she said without looking at me.

Sometimes? Hah! As far I knew her, she _always _talked badly about me and Sookie!

"Uh-huh," Imogene said, reading the report. "Hmm..uh-huh…is that so….ehm…"

That was unnerving. None of us understood what is so 'uh-huh' and 'hmh' about! After some more 'uh-huh', I couldn't stand it.

"What?"

"It's said that you suffered from cervical fractures…"

"What?"

Imogene sighed, as if she was talking to a complete idiot. "Like Andy said, somebody tried to break your neck. He grabbed your neck, squeezed it, caused inner injuries and managed to dislocate the disk…a disk is…it's like this, our neck is not made of one long bone, but there are seven bones, shaped like blocks. Each bone is separated by a disk. It's a cushion; it looks like a donut…"

Andy spat out his coffee. I believed he thought the same thing like I did. Seven donuts in his neck...that couldn't be shocking, knowing he ate a lot of them.

"Anyway, somebody had grabbed your head, and twisted. To do that, this person will need a lot of power."

"Could it be…that it wasn't caused by a person, but because she fell from the bridge."

"Yes, that could happen. But it's also said here that they found hand-marks on your neck. Somebody had squeezed your neck…he tried to strangle you or something and when it didn't work, he tried to twist your neck."

The restaurant became quiet.

Andy drank his coffee without a sound; Jason looked at me with his puppy eyes; Imogene looked to other direction, avoiding me. They felt sorry for me, I knew that. Godric was right when he said somebody was trying to kill me.

I stood up. The shadow that I saw in the car's rear window appeared again. There was somebody else besides Sam and me. He wasn't in the car…I realized now…he was outside the car…and the noises that I heard after I had drunk the tea from Callisto…it hadn't been from that night…the sound was like somebody smashing something. Somebody had smashed the body of the car…somebody tried to stop the car because he knew I saw the faun.

No, it couldn't be Sam. Sam had been with me in the car….had he? God! I wasn't sure anymore. I had to ask Godric. Godric had to tell me the truth. He had to tell me what had happened that night! He had to!

"Tara…" Jason got up and held me. "Tara…sit down, please. Jesus, Tara! You are paler than vampires and cold too!"

I sat down. This is too much for me. I had to know everything; I couldn't continue living in uncertainty like this.

The door opened. Sam entered the restaurant. It seemed he had just woken up. His hair was messy and his eyes were read. "What's going on here?" he said. "It's still early…hey, Andy? Where have you…Jason, is that a gun under your shirt? You know I don't allow anybody to bring guns inside my place."

"Sit down, Sam. We need to talk," said Andy.

Sam looked at us and was surprised to see Imogene was among us. "Imogene?"

"Hey, Sam," she lifted her hand without lifting her face from the file.

Sam's eyebrows met in the middle; he looked at me and gave me a sign to follow him. "What's going on?" he asked when we were at the bar. "Imogene looks…different."

"Tell me about it," I said. "Everybody is different today."

"What's going on? Why is Jason carrying a gun?"

I told him as quickly and concisely as possible. He took a glass of water and drank it. His hands were shaking. "What?"

"Don't you see it? Something is behind all those craziness. I know Bon Temps people are not as holy as they claim themselves to be. But I also don't think they will do it publicly like that. It's like…." His eyes caught my hand. "New bracelet?"

"No, it's my mother's. Well, she stole it from somebody and I want to return it. Why?"

"It looks familiar to me…" he touched his own lips. "Are you sure about Imogene being here and reading your file? You know how she is."

I nodded. "Sooner or later everybody will find out that Godric and I had something to do with each other. I don't think it matters anymore if she knows it now or later. Sam, are we going to open tonight? You know, the situation doesn't look good and I am afraid they're getting out of control here…"

"I know what you mean, but Godric is here. I believe he can handle them."

"I don't know; he tends to avoid parties."

"Not when you're in danger. Don't tell me you don't see how much he cares about you!" his brown eyes got wider. "And don't tell me that you don't feel a thing about him! Both of you can't stop groping each other and now you want to tell me that you don't care?"

"How'd you…"

Sam smirked. "Merlotte's walls have ears, Tara. Well, not necessarily, since both of you were not actually quiet."

I hit his shoulder. I felt my face get hot.

"Seriously, Tara. Think real hard before you feel sorry. He's not like any other guys you hang around with."

"Yeah, he's a vampire," I said, smiling.

"Forget that part and see him as a man…well, a boy," Sam smiled. "At least give him a chance to prove you wrong."

"About what?"

"Your opinion on vampires or supernatural beings in general. Besides, if you have a relationship gone bad again; my business will suffer from it."

I smiled. "Uh-huh, you don't care about my feelings; you care more about your business!"

Sam smiled. "Damn right, I do!"

Then, we were quiet.

I looked at the table and watched how seriously the three of them were discussing. Andy seemed eager to solve the case and find the people who had humiliated him. Imogene looked like a different person to me. She looked more bearable, serious and somehow, decent. There was no more Imogene – the gossip queen, but a serious business-like woman. I wondered what had made her into a nosy gossiping person because if she continued behaving like that, she could be an interesting person.

"I heard Sookie is returning today," Sam said, drinking his water. "I hope everything is fine with her."

"What'd you mean? Of course she'll be all right."

"You really think so? She's out there for how many days already? Ten? Alone, with Eric Northman? Are you sure, she'll be all right?"

Well…I didn't know. But I did know that my best friend knew how to handle her vampire. She had kicked Bill's ass out of her life, for example. If Eric was getting nasty, I was sure, she could handle him. She wouldn't hesitate to stake that blond man. Man…? Did I just call Eric Northman a man? Hmh…Godric surely had changed me in a way of viewing vampires.

The day was creeping into the night. I couldn't take my eyes on the cuckoo clock and hope it would open the door and let the bird come out. On second thought, that clock wasn't that hideous after all. There were many details on it, whoever made that, she or he must have loved the clock or Sam. Those dogs were collies…Sam's form.

I looked at Sam, who was preparing the bar. Did he find his love somewhere in Germany and that person made the clock for him? If he had, no wonder that he loved that clock very much. Sam seemed to know I was watching him; he looked at me and raised his eyebrows. 'Nothing,' I mouthed it.

The Merlotte's employees came one by one. To my and Jason's surprise, Arlene came with Keith Connor. I didn't know what they were smoking, but they were giggling and whispering in each other's ears. Keith sat on one of the table, again to our surprise, ignored Jason completely and followed Arlene with his eyes. Jason looked confused.

Arlene passed me by, still chuckling and giggling. When she looked at me, I was taken aback. Her irises were as big as Imogene's had been. "Hi, Tara!" she waved and continued giggling and went to the room where the employees put their private belongings.

Something was not right here.

The door opened again. This time, Godric entered. He looked tired. There were black rings under his eyes that I'd never seen before. Hadn't he had enough sleep?

Then, our eyes met.

And for that very moment, I saw flickering in his eyes and within a blink of an eye, he was standing beside me, took me from behind the bar and the next thing I knew, I was pressed against the wall. His hand was on my throat, his fangs were out and his eyes were looking at me with disgust and anger.

I heard somebody screaming. "God…" I touched his hand and tried to remove it from my throat, but it was jammed like a piece of steel jammed into a wall. "…egh…Gg…pp…"

"THIS BRACELET….IS IT YOURS?" His voice was loud and growling.

I felt my head was heavy and my chest was painful. I couldn't breathe.

"Godric…" I heard Sam's voice, but I couldn't see him. Everything started to get blurry.

"STAY OUT OF IT, SHIFTER, IF YOU STILL LOVE YOUR LIFE!"

Clack, I heard another sound and Jason's voice filled the air. "Take your hand off her, you filth, or I'll shoot you."

Godric sniffed. "Make sure that you aim correctly, human, or it will be the very last thing you'll do."

"Godric…please listen to me…let her go…she can't breathe….please…"

"I warned you!"

BANG!

And that was the last thing I heard.

xxxxxx


	19. The Night of Truth

Chapter Nineteen

**The Night of Truth**

The shadows moved fast, walked around and through me as if I was invisible. I heard noises, but I couldn't distinguish one from the other.

Then I felt the wind touching my face. It was warm and wet, like typical August air. I heard myself laughing and my own voice was a bit higher than normal. I was nervous.

'Jeez, Sam…I don't know what to say!'

'Just say 'thank you'; that would be enough.'

'Of course, silly me!'

Then, I heard myself laughing again.

'How long will you be in Washington?'

'I can't say, but I'll call you as soon as I know.'

Sam looked nervous.

I realized I was in the car, it was that night, watching myself and Sam talking. I tried to touch my figure, but it was only cold empty air that I touched. Sam looked nervous and I talked nervously, not paying attention that Sam wasn't really listening. He looked through the windows too often and answered all my questions half-heartedly.

I felt my blood turn cold when I saw the red bridge. I knew, it couldn't touch me anymore, but I knew what would happen. I heard myself screaming and shouting, asking Sam to do something. I covered my ears with my hands. No, I don't want to see…I want to get out of here…I wanted to close my eyes when suddenly I saw the car was driver-less. Sam had changed himself into a bird and had flown out of the window.

'What the fuck?' I saw me opening the seat belt and grabbing the steering wheel. The car moved uncontrollably and made horrible noises. 'Sam, you son of a bitch!" I heard myself screaming.

When I had finally managed to control the car, I stopped over to the side. Banging my own head to the steering wheel, I heard me saying, 'Asshole! He left me here…what the fuck? He could change himself into a bird?'

Bang!

The car shook as somebody; something hit it.

I looked at the rear window and saw somebody coming.

_Go, Tara! _I screamed, but I couldn't hear my own voice. _Go, now! Drive! _

Instead of listening to what I said, I popped my head out of the car. The shadow was coming near.

'Please, you have to help me,' I heard myself saying. 'Please…there's a woman down there on the field, somebody….something is attacking her! Please!'

Then, a hand, covered in something silver grabbed my neck. I saw me kicking, trying to fight back, take the hand away….I tried to scream, but there were only noises without meaning, coming from my mouth…then something red flickered in the dark…eyes…red eyes…

"HELP!" finally I managed to scream.

"Tara…thank God!" Sam's voice filled my ears. I opened my eyes and saw him kneeling beside me.

"You left me alone! You left me alone in the car, you coward, son of a bitch!" I screamed, but my voice was pressed and broken. I touched my neck…it was painful…Godric…had grabbed my throat…

Sam's face was red; he looked very uncomfortable. He got up and touched his lips. His eyes moved recklessly.

"How could you, Sam?" Tears ran down my cheek. "How could you?"

"There's no excuse for that cowardice, Tara. I am really sorry. I was panicking. I didn't want to go through the same experience again…if you can't forgive me…"

I gave him a sign to stop. My throat was hot and painful; my nose was hot and my eyes were heavy from tears. The very last thing I wanted to hear right now was what I could and what I couldn't do. "Where am I?" I wiped off my tears.

"You're in my trailer," said Sam.

I looked around. I was sitting on a bed, probably Sam's bed. The room was small and crammed with boxes, clothes and god knows what else. I moved backward as I saw Godric. He was standing beside the door. His soft and tender face was hard and so were his eyes.

"I'll go and see Jason," Sam said, walking out.

"Is everything all right…." I looked at Godric. "You didn't…"

"No. He shot my shoulder and I hit his face." He walked towards me, as he's getting nearer, I could see some big black stains on his right shoulder.

"Stay right there," I said. "I don't want you to touch me again."

"My apology, Tara. I was carried away."

"Carried away? You almost killed me! And my neck…"

Csss, he bit his wrist.

"I don't want to drink your blood…"

He sat beside me, without me being able to stop him. He offered me his wrist. "Please, Tara. You need it."

"I drank too much from you…," Tears ran down on my cheek again. "You hurt me…I thought you loved me, I thought you would never lay your finger on me…I thought….I thought…why, Godric? Why?"

"You are wearing the priest's jewelry."

"What?" I looked at the bracelet. "You wanted to kill me because of this? This bracelet belongs to Callisto, my shrink. My mother stole it from her."

Godric grabbed my hand.

His grip was strong. My hand went numb because of it. "Godric, you are hurting me…"

"The Greek wrote the priest's name on the bracelet. He promised the Goddess Athena - his Goddess, his soul when he wrote the name on the bracelet. He wanted to live forever bonded to the priest so that I would find the priest didn't matter in which shade she or he was in. Lytta. He called her 'Lytta'."

My jaw dropped. That was the name that was written on the bracelet. "But her name is Lyssa," I said, more to convince myself than to tell Godric. "Callisto Lyssa."

"She was called with many names; but the Greek chose the name, which was used by the Athenians, his Goddess' people. They called her Lytta. When I saw it on you, I lost my control. I thought you were the priest."

"You thought I was the priest? Priest – it's a man! I am a woman!"

"My language doesn't differ between man or woman for a priest." His holding was loosening. "I was blinded by my anger and let it overtake the best of me." He kissed my wrist. "You had acted very strange last night as if you were leaving me and the next night I saw you wearing the bracelet… It angered me to think I could be fooled by the priest after all this time. I might be two thousand years old, but I am only a man with a man's foolishness and short mind in the matter of a woman."

"You're jealous and you became violent? I have enough violent men in my life, I can tell you right now; I don't need such a man."

"No, I am not jealous of Jason," his eyes became tender again. He put his finger on my lips to stop me from arguing. "Yes, I know you have feelings for Jason. You have my blood, Tara. I can feel what you feel. Still, to answer your question, I became violent because I thought you were the priest and not because I was jealous." He touched my lips with his thumb. "I would be sorry if I couldn't taste the sweetness of your mouth anymore because you preferred the touch of another man to mine, but I would never harm you; neither with my hands nor with my words."

Godric – my vampire, the warrior, the poet, the priest….my tears rolled down on his fingers…my man…I hugged his cold, fragile body. He held me back.

"Tell me the story about how you met Lytta."

"I told you, only on your bed."

"No, Godric. I don't want to have sex with you just because I want to hear your story."

"I am not talking about having sex…"

I released myself. On his face there wasn't any smile or teasing gesture. He was serious. "You know how it goes, Godric. As soon as we hit the bed, we will end up having sex. I don't want that anymore. I want us to be able to talk like normal humans."

"You addressed me as human," he said. His voice sounded surprised, but at the same time, thoughtful.

"What…." I stopped myself as I realized, Godric didn't like to hear the word 'whatever' when he was talking about his being. "It's about the time that I see you as you, and not as a vampire or a man. Don't you think?"

He smiled. "Tara, I don't want to tell you the story anywhere else because your house is your sanctuary against vampires like me or any other supernatural being…. It's bothered me to know that they can enter your place. Your place and its surrounding are in the realm of the faeries – the Water Faery. The little pond not so far from your neighbour's house….?"

"Sookie's house you mean?"

He nodded. "It's the gate to their realm. It's there so they can protect their kin."

"If my house is my sanctuary, how could the Faun entered my place?" I asked.

"Like many supernatural beings, they need the invitation to enter the life of a human. Either it is an invitation to their hearts or their houses." Godric touched my hair.

"The priest won't be able to enter the ground without any invitation. You are a seer, Tara. Your eyes will protect you from any trick. If she forced herself to enter, you would be able to see her true form. Besides, you already had my blood when you returned to your house. Even if she was able to enter the house, she wouldn't be able to touch you."

The image of Callisto lifting her hand off my skin as if she had touched something hot flashed in front of my eyes. Slowly, everything was clear. Callisto came to me because she knew who I was, not because Doctor Fisher sent her. She might even have jinxed Doctor Fisher to do her bidding. I had always thought Doctor Fisher had been too considerate to me. Too curious. Now I could understand why. I also realized that Callisto had come only once, after that she had sent Sat and the Faun.

"It will be difficult for them now that you know her real identity," Godric continued. "I didn't want to tell the story of my life somewhere else because it's too dangerous; she might hear it. Your bed, where your heart and emotions lie, is the strongest place in the house. Anybody, who wants to enter that place, needs another invitation – a different kind of invitation." His eyes were brighter. "If in the end we had sex then consider it as my good fortune." He smiled.

I smiled back. I remembered; I hadn't exactly invited him, but I hadn't refused him either. I had been kind of letting him do whatever he wanted. "Why is it dangerous to tell your story somewhere else?"

"Somebody could hear it and he or she would tell her. You know how easy it is to be under her spell. She always finds a way to manipulate people's feelings and fears. She tried with you, she tried with me."

"How?"

"By pretending to give you what you want the most. The love of a mother."

Tears fell on my cheek. Was that what I wanted the most? Did I really want my mother to love me? That stinky, drunken, cheap, heartless, slutty cunt of a mother?

It's clear now why she had called my mother to come here and asked her to pretend to act nicely and to be what I wanted her to be, a care loving mother. She wanted to use her to get me after her tricks with the tea and the Faun had failed. I guess I should have thanked to Johnnie, Jack or whatever my mother had in her drawer now to make her old self to come up to surface. Otherwise, I would've fallen into Callisto's tricks.

"What happened that night, in my living room?" I wiped off my tears.

"I felt that you were in danger. I ran to your house to see you being rubbed by the faun."

"You mean Sat?"

"I saw him already in his true form; I don't know how he looked like before. I asked you to let me in and when you let me in, I fought him. He had defeated me once, two thousand years ago, but I was young and weak. I am still young, compared to him, but I learned my lesson. His weakness is his horn. I have to be able to take him by the horn or to break them. But before I could do that, he moved away. His master had called him. I wanted to follow him, but I saw you on the floor, covered in his liquid…"

"Scent, Godric, please use that word, it makes me feel better…"

"As you wish, Tara. His scent. I took you under the shower and you knew the rest."

"I remember trying to seduce you, but I heard Callisto's voice, instead of mine; but I couldn't do anything…"

"So you heard her. You were still able to fight her even when you were in such a state…" he kissed my hand. "I wasn't mistaken after all. You are blessed with your keen eyes, Tara. And with your keen eyes came also powers to protect you from any harm. Even your name carries something great and powerful."

I dried my cheek. "You're joking, right? It's a name of a plantation."

"Has nobody ever told you about the Hill of Tara in Ireland, where the Druids resided, the great Kings of old reigned and the Celtic warriors were trained? You are named after a place that is so dear to the heart of every Celt…" his face was getting near. "And I am a Cornovii – a Celt."

"No shit," I touched his face. "Your queen was right. You know what the women want to hear. But I'll google it to know if you are telling me the truth or just trying to get into my pants."

He pulled me to his arms and as if he wanted to redo what he had done, he kissed my neck. He caressed it and gently licked it. I trembled from the lust and the pain that came over me. I would never be able to make the right decision if I let my lust make it for me. I knew we would have sex right there right now if I didn't stop him. I had to stop him. This is Sam's bed not mine. I heard what had happened and what the people had done today; I didn't want to do the same thing. I had to stop him.

I pushed him gently, as his hand was slipping down into my jeans. "Stop it, Godric." I said, "It's neither the time nor the place."

Godric moved back. To my surprise, there was a shock on his face. His eyes were wider and his mouth was open.

"What?"

"I am losing my self control. I let my desire overtake me."

Other times, I would have taken it as a compliment that a man had lost his self control and 'let his desire overtake him' in other words, he's fucking horny. But not now. I knew Godric was mostly horny every time he was with me, but he had always managed to control himself.

"She's getting stronger," he said.

"How?"

"She gets her power from people's feelings. Feelings that make them unable to react with clear minds: anger, lust, greed and sadness."

The people of Bon Temps were her source of power. They had been having an orgy; they had been delivering the energy for her.

"Let's go to my place and tell me the story there," I got down from the bed. "I can't risk having to fight her without knowing what to do."

"First, drink my blood. You need it." He put his hand in front of his mouth, but before he bit it, I removed it. Softly I touched his fangs and then softly, I pulled his neck towards me and kissed him. His fangs touched my lips and cut them. It was painful, but I didn't mind.

Suddenly he leapt. The blood at the corner of his mouth was black. That…that was my blood. "You're….you're poisoned." He wiped off the blood and to my horror, the blood was changing into some kind of foam.

"I….what?"

"Somebody has poisoned you."

"But I…," I stopped. My mother. The only person I had had a contact with was my mother. She had stuck me with a knife….My mother, my own mother… "Why did she do that?"

"So that you can't drink my blood or any other vampire's blood."

No, not Callisto. My mother…why did she do that? Because of money? My head spun.

Godric held me.

"My mother stuck me…," I showed him the hand. The blue line that I had seen this morning was getting longer and clearer, "with a knife…a yellowish old knife. She said she needed my blood."

"She didn't need your blood. The priest lied. She wanted your mother to touch you with the knife that has poison on its blade."

"How can you be so sure?"

"If you have my blood in your body, she won't be able to touch you until its effect disappears. Now with the poison runs in your blood, you won't be able to receive any blood. She won't have any problem to touch you. You see what happened with your blood when it touched my body. It changed into foam. And when you drink my blood or any other vampires…,"

"It will kill me."

Godric nodded. "But I know a good doctor. She can heal you."

"Then we shall go to her."

Godric shook his head. "She lives at the border between Louisiana and Mississippi. I can't leave Bon Temps; you heard what Sam said and I don't want to send you alone there."

I held him. My body was shaking from fear that came to me without invitation.

"My apology, my darling," he kissed my head. "I am truly sorry."

"Let's get out of here," I said. "Let's go to my house and tell me the story there. I don't care if we end up having sex or not. I want to know how to deal with that bitch. She has to be taught not to mess around with Tara Desiree Thornton!"

"Desiree…your middle name is Desiree…?"

I lifted my head. "Why? One of your women was named Desiree too? Because…"

"No," he interrupted me. "It's a beautiful name. I knew a woman with similar name once; no, she's not my woman… but I loved her just the same."

We went out of Sam's trailer. The loud noises from Merlotte's reached our ears. There was certainly something going on there.

"Tara!"

I turned to the source of sound. Sookie. She was running from the back door. She wasn't wearing her Merlotte's uniform. Did she just arrive from Dallas?

"You and Godric have to leave. Now!" she said.

"Why?"

Before she could answer, a tall blond figure emerged out of nowhere. He stood beside Sookie, looked at me menacingly. "Godric…" he said.

"Oh, no, you don't! If you touch Godric, I swear, I'll stake you with my own hand!" I stood in front of Godric and spread my arms. On second thought, it was a stupid thing to do, since Eric was a vampire and he's around 1,000 year old, whilst I was just a human…

Too late, Eric walked toward me. I felt my whole body trembling. What would happen now? Would he grab me and throw me somewhere? What would Godric do? Would Sookie and I have to witness two vampires that we loved fight against each other? Oh, shit!

Then, Eric stopped and bowed his head. "Please, Master. I need to speak with you."

My jaw dropped. _Master? Godric is Eric's maker?_

As if Sookie could hear what I thought (probably she did), she said. "He's your maker?" Then, she looked at me. "You're with Godric? I thought your vampire boyfriend's name was Raido?"

"Who?" both Godric and I asked the same question.

"You told me it was his name!"

Ah, yeah… I remembered now. "It's one of his tattoos. I couldn't tell you his name!"

"Why not?" now Godric and Sookie asked the same question.

"Well, I didn't…," I felt my face getting hot, "want to tell you I had already a thing for him only some days after we met! Besides, I thought he was having problems with Eric!" I turned around to make sure that I didn't see a grin or a smile or whatever on his face.

"Women!" Godric hissed. "Why do they always make everything complicated?" Then, he said something in a language I didn't understand.

Eric nodded. Then he followed Godric, who walked some steps away from me and Sookie.

Somehow it was amazing to see how that big tall man bowed and looked at Godric, a much smaller and fragile man, like a pupil listened to his teacher.

"What happened in Dallas?"

"They were looking for Dallas Sheriff. The vampires are about to have a kind of meeting, in which all sheriffs and political figures will gather and make important decisions for their future. I heard something about 'marriage between vampires and human' and also something about the feud between the Queen of Louisiana against the King of Nevada or something like that.

"The Sheriff of Dallas is one of the oldest vampires in USA, and they want to know his opinion. The problem is he's not there. The last place he was seen was Shreveport; so they needed Eric. They're kind of accusing him of making the Sheriff disappear. Can you imagine how furious Eric was when he heard the accusation? Now I know why."

"How did he know that Godric was here?"

"I kind of slipped up. Oh, Tara, don't look at me like that. It was an easy evening; we were having this and that conversation and I said that Merlotte's had a new employee, a young vampire named Godric. Eric yelled at me and asked me why I hadn't told him earlier. How should I know?"

Then, she looked at my neck. "What happened to your neck? What is going on here? Many people are drunk inside, Jason has a broken nose and somebody shot the cuckoo clock."

"What?" Oh, Sam was going to go fucking nuts, for sure!

"What happened to your neck, Tara?" Sookie insisted.

I told her what happened to me since she had been away. Her eyes were getting bigger and bigger when I reached the part about the Faun, Sam and my mother. Her blue eyes were full of tears when she heard what my mother had said to me.

"Oh, Tara," she said and hugged me. "I am so sorry…"

Yeah, so am I, for my mother…no, I pity her for she had lost the only real love that she might have in her life.

"Godric was wondering how the Faun could enter my house," I said to her. "My house is in the realm of the faeries…Water faeries or something like that…."

"You believe him? I mean, faeries?"

"I will believe anything from now on, Sook. Look, vampires exist. Two of them are standing over there and have slept with us…."

"I don't sleep with Eric," Sookie cut me short.

"Not yet?"

"What do you mean 'not yet'? I don't, period."

I wanted to tell her that it was nonsense what she's doing to herself, but I changed my mind. I could talk about her relationship with Eric some other time. "Anyway, I will believe if somebody tells me there are shape-shifters, werewolves, demons, faeries or any other supernatural beings! Won't you?"

"Well…" Sookie shook her head, but nothing came out from her mouth.

"Godric just told me," I decided to change the subject; "Callisto and her Faun could only enter our homes, if she had been invited. Did we invite her somehow? I don't remember inviting her, she just showed up."

Sookie's fair face became pale. "I did. Twice. Once when she came to Merlotte's and told me that she was sent by your doctor. I gave her your address and telephone number and asked her to drop by anytime she liked. And second….I invited her to help me with Gran's backyard…when we were at her place…Well, I didn't exactly invite her, but I said something about the backyard and she said she would love to do the gardening and I agreed…."

Yeah…I remembered it now.

"God…we invited a monster to our homes," Sookie sighed.

"We didn't know about it back then, Sook. She looked so lovely and sincere."

"Yeah, but why does she have to be invited to enter our houses? She's not a vampire."

"Godric said it was because our houses are in the realm of the faeries. Something about their kin…" I looked at Sookie. The image of the shimmering woman at the South-West street appeared and the memory of the man with the sparkling suit, who had visited Gran also appeared. The Faeries' kin…Sookie and Jason. If they were faeries related…what was I? Why did the faeries protect me? I pushed the thought inside. Concentrate, Tara. I told myself. With all my might, I forced myself to continue. "The Faun wouldn't be so bold changing its shape if he wasn't invited."

We were silent. Sookie muttered that she should've known better and not acted so gullible towards everything. I thought the same things too. I was normally suspicious about everybody and as soon as somebody acted as if she had cared, I fell into her traps. Was I so desperate for my mother's love or love in general? Was I?

Sookie grabbed my hand. She had heard what I thought.

Godric and Eric came to us. With a smirk on his face Eric wouldn't be able to leave Bon Temps. Godric wasn't sure if Eric could break through the barrier that was created by the priest. He could try, of course, but he would prefer to stay. He had found Godric, he didn't want to lose him again.

"You can sleep at my place, I suppose," said Sookie. "Bill built some kind of cellar for himself when he was still with me."

"Thank you," said Eric. I caught a smile and a familiar glint in his eyes, a glint that Godric gave me when he started touching me. Hh, teacher and pupil, they were the same! And as always, Sookie didn't realize it; she didn't even understand why I had rolled my eyes.

The sound that came from Merlotte's was getting louder and louder. I could hear the sound of people laughing, something crashing and the music was so loud I swore I saw the roof was shaking.

Three figures came out the back door in a hurry. They were Sam, Jason and Andy. I gasped when I saw Jason's face. His nose was swollen and there was black line around it.

"You did that to him?" I said to Godric, almost screaming. "What's that for?"

"He shot me," said Godric, looking at Jason with narrowed eyes. "I told you I hit his face."

"I gave him my blood already," said Eric. "He will be cured soon."

Jesus, these vampires! They thought their blood would cure everything, including egos! I came to Jason. "You're all right, Jay?" I touched his face.

"Yeah, yeah, sure," but his eyes said something different. Clearly he was still having a grudge against Godric.

Sam cleared his throat. "Sorry to interrupt, folks, but we have to leave this place soon. It's getting out of control inside Merlotte's. I think it will be better if we don't stay here any longer."

We agreed to leave separately. Eric went to Sookie's place; Jason, Andy and Sam went to Andy's place; Godric and I returned to my place. I wanted to go inside to fetch Lafayette, but Sam shook his head.

"What about Imogene?"

Again, Sam shook his head.

With a heavy heart, I let myself be carried by Godric. God, I hoped everything was all right with Lafayette and Imogene. I know it sounded weird, but I started seeing Imogene in a whole different light and I really wanted to help her find her sister.

xxxxx


	20. Under the Lights of Stars

**Author's Note:** I don't know why CH used Callisto as a maenad, because according to Greek Myth, Callisto was an Arcadian Princess, follower/nymph of Artemis - the goddess of forest/wild life and not of Dionysus. Anyway, she vowed to remain virgin, as other Artemis' nymphs. Well, Zeus - the old rascal had a completely different idea when he saw how beautiful Callisto was. He shifted himself into Artemis and raped her. Callisto was pregnant, and as a member of men-who-are-afraid-of-their-wives organization, Zeus changed her into a bear to protect her from Hera - his wife, (but if you know what Hera could do, I'd be frightened as hell too if I were Zeus) and sent Arctrutus to protect her. Her son, Arcas was raised by human. After a long time of searching, finally Callisto found her son again and wanted to embrace him. Like any other bears, she stood on her feet and raised the front feet. Arcas, who was adult now, saw only a bear and thought that the bear wanted to attack him, and killed her. Zeus realized what kind of shit he had created, changed both of them into a constellation (the big dipper). And the loyal Arctrutus too was honored by becoming a giant red not so far from them (Arctrutus Star). Well, you can't be too careful, you know? Even when Callisto is a star now, who knows what Hera will do to her ;). Oh, by the way, Hera did find out who the bear really was, and cursed her, that she would never be able to wash herself with the earth water again. That's why the Callisto's light never reaches the earth surface. I could understand Hera, somehow...lol.

Since CH made Callisto as a maenad, the worshiper of Dionysus, I change the story a bit.

Callisto is also the name of one of Jupiter's moons. The second largest after Ganymede, the forever virgin boy, who served Zeus.

So, I mix them, Callisto a la CH, Callisto a la Greek Myth, and throw Ganymede in between. A kind of supernatural salad.

Oh, about the Grand Planetary Alignment, when Mercury, Venus, Earth, Moon, Sun, Jupiter and Saturnus make a line, it happened already. I took the one which happened on May 5, 2000. Nope, no Jupiter effect like what the clever guys in Astronomy field said. badastronomy dot com has a lot of interesting articles if you want to read about it.

* * *

Chapter Twenty

**Under the Lights of Stars  
**

Somehow it was strange to have Godric in my living room instead of my bedroom. He sat on the couch, watching my every move with a soft look in his eyes. His face returned to his normal expression, soft and tender. Huh, it would be strange to say this, but I preferred to see his angry look. At least I would know he was having something inside his mind.

He took my hand as I sat beside him. I pulled it away instinctively. Those hands left some marks on my neck; the pain was still there and to be honest, if the situation hadn't been so difficult now, I wasn't sure if I would have had him here, in my living room.

He opened his hands and said, "I can't withdraw or redo what I did to you with these hands. I can only hope the pleasure I have given you with these hands can repay the pain I caused you."

Those hands were white and there were no blue lines in them. It was as if they had been made from marble or plastic. There was no life inside those hands, and yet, I knew, those hands had touched me and aroused me.

"What does she actually want, Godric? Why does she come here? There has to be a reason! She doesn't just accidentally pop up, does she? There has to be a reason why she chose Bon Temps!" I looked at him straight into his eyes. "There has to be a reason why you are here. Don't say it's because of me. You and I know it's not true."

He folded his arms across his chest. "Do you believe the stars and the planets or other bodies in the sky can influence our lives?"

"You mean like astrology and other shit? Nah, I always skip that part in the magazines and the newspapers. You believe in that shit?"

"The Greek taught me that knowledge, yes. Astrology is nothing more than a science to calculate and understand about the stars, the planet and our position compared to them."

"The Greek knew about astrology already?" I looked at him, surprised.

"Astrology is not a new science, Tara. It's existed since long before my time. The Greek told me about the teachings of Pythagoras…."

"Moment, Pythagoras….like the one in math?"

Godric smiled. "Yes, that one."

"The Greek read his book?"

"He never said about any book, he always said it's according to Pythagoras. According to him, everything that happens, whether it is in the past, present or future is pre-determined by the celestial or cosmic clock."

"Celestial clock?"

"The movement of the planets."

"Yeah, but the planets in your time were different, weren't they? I mean, only some years ago we had nine planets, and now it is down to eight."

"Yes. The numbers of the planets are different, but the movement is the same. The Greek knew only seven."

"Which are?"

"Stilbon, Phosporos, Gaia, Selene, Areos aster, Zeus and Kronos."

"Er….I am not sure I am familiar with those names."

"Mercury, Venus, Earth, Moon, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn in your language, which are taken from the Romans language," his eyes glinted. "But back then, they called the earth as'Terra' and the moon as 'Luna'."

"The moon isn't a planet."

"Planet in the Greek's language means the wanderer and the moon wanders in the sky."

"I am not sure if the NASA guys will agree with that definition…anyway, so what does Astrology have to do with this mess?"

"The Greek told me to watch the sky and to measure the position of the planets. According to my calendar, this month, before the full moon, six planets, the Bright One and the sun will create a line. The earth will have the darkest moment in her life because all lights will be blocked because of it and it will also open the gate to other world; the gate, which I used to believe only opened during the Samhain. Because the alignment of the six planets, the Bright One and the sun will cause such energy, it will influence our feelings, our body and our minds. The collection of these feelings and fears will help the priest to call her god and bring him to life. Bon Temps happens to be right in line. Do you have a piece of paper and pencil so that I could draw it?"

I took a piece of paper and a pencil from the drawer. He drew a straight line and eight circles, represented the planets, the moon and the sun. "In three days, it will happen." He looked at me, his eyes were narrowing. He didn't only look serious, but also concerned…or worried.

"So are many other towns or cities!" I tried to tell myself it was nonsense what Godric had said.

"Not with Regulus and the Big Dipper on these positions." He drew other two points and connected them. Now those lines became a triangle. "It happened once, two thousand and thirty years ago."

"I don't understand."

"Regulus means the Prince, but the Greek called it 'Basiliscus' – the serpent," his glinting eyes were now hard. "The Big Dipper…the Kushites called it the Leaps. The Greek, called it the Big Bear, the little bear and there's a red star here at the end of the bears. It is called Arctrutus, the guardian of the bears. And with the serpent also appears in the sky, it is nothing, but a sign for the priest that her god is coming.

"The bears and their guardian are also called Callisto, Arcas, her son and Arctrutus, their guardian."

My jaw dropped. "That...that...Jesus! It is as if you just mentioned Callisto, her god son, Dennis and their servant, Bass."

"I should've asked you about your shrink. She uses her ancient name now...I should've known…"

"Callisto…she used that name two thousand years ago?"

"Yes. You said 'God's son'? She has her god's son with her?" Now I could see clearly the wryness in his eyes.

"God son, not god's son. Well, that's a kind of religious term, you know. If your parents can't take care of you anymore and they choose another person to represent and take care of you...not the son of her god."

Godric shook his head. "Not in her religion."

"You're not telling me that Dennis or Sat is her God's son?"

"Or he was made during one of the orgies and his mother is her virgin follower who wasn't sacrificed for her god."

Sat had told me that he didn't know his mother. He had been searching for her, but he couldn't find her. He didn't even know her name. If his mother had been a virgin, who became pregnant because of the orgy, I could understand why she didn't let her name be known.

I took a deep breath. I felt heavy in my chest. "What will happen, if her god comes down to Earth? Will he destroy the world or something…it's irony somehow. Bon Temps…a shit hole in States, will be known as a place where the destruction of the world starts."

"No. Not like that. Her god will walk on this earth through her."

"What do you mean through her?" I looked at him and was shocked by the thought. "Is she…you mean…she…and he…?"

"She will join the orgy, yes. She will have sex with the chosen one, yes. A virgin who was made during the orgy…"

"Sat. She wants to have babies from Sat? And Sat is virgin?"

"I don't know about that, but it's possible, yes."

"I thought the virgin is only for the Faun."

"Not only, but yes, she will have two virgins to be sacrificed in this ceremony."

Two virgins? Who the other one might be…then, something hit me. Savannah Miller. Was that what Imogene had said, 'it's about the time Savannah got to know a nice gentleman'? God! "What is her god anyway…Satan or something?"

"Satan is a term that is used by the people of the young Israeli. And I don't think she recognizes the existence of the young Israeli or his father or worships their enemy. She and her beliefs are much older than the young Israeli. In her or my belief there is no good or evil. Gods are there to protect or to punish everything that lives on this earth."

"I don't want to argue with you, Godric. Surely you know a lot more than me, but unless I am mistaken, even the Greek himself warned you about the God that leads to destruction and immorality beyond beliefs…there's only one 'god' I know that leads us to destruction, and he is Satan himself."

"You should learn about my beliefs and my gods," he smiled. "And when you learned them already, perhaps you will have more understanding that beliefs are not _that_ simple to be divided by good and evil….or perhaps you will see beliefs, religions and people with different eyes. What would you say if I told you my god and her god were the same?"

"You don't say…"

"My people was called Cornovii – people of the horned god because we worshipped Belenus – our god of sun, who was pictured with horns on his head. Her god is Dionysus by the Greek, Baachus by the Romans….and perhaps Satan by the people of the young Israeli, which is also pictured with horns on his head."

I shook my head. "You are trying to mess with my head."

"Why would I do that?"

I sat down. "You, worship…Satan?"

He took my hand and kissed it. "Belenus isn't Dionysus. My god is the god of sun, which provides life on this earth. When he arises, then all the living things will welcome him with joy and love. Her god, Dionysus; on the other hand, brought nothing, but disaster and distraught. You can see how the people of Bon Temps behave; what you have seen and been through; what Sam has been through…

"The Greek said, the lesson that we can draw from all those beliefs in gods and other supernatural beings, is something very clear: there is only one god that shines through each and every one of us. It might be called with different names, but it's there. The power of this god differs from one person to the next one, depending on how strong this person lets its power shine through. And all the troubles, darkness, fears that are caused by the power from other gods, can't do anything against a single light of ray from this god, which dwells inside our pure inner side. Just like the sun which its ray can't be blocked even by the moon itself."

He looked at me, straight into my eyes. "You might call it love, a pure love from a mother to her children or the other way around, a love between friends, a love that doesn't demand to be satisfied. If you have that kind of love, hold on to it. It might save you during this troubled time."

Tears fell on my cheek. "Are you trying to say goodbye, Godric? Knowing you might not be able to fight her?"

He wiped off my tears. "Yes, but not to you."

"Whom to?"

"Eric. I came to Eric to tell him if something happened to me, he would have the rights to inherit my property and money. I told him we might not see each other again for a longer time and he should prepare himself for rough times in the future. I couldn't say the word; I don't want to hurt him. He's my child; I have to take care of him."

I was perplexed. He was talking about Eric Northman, wasn't he? Eric Northman, the tall big blond vampire, who owned a night club in Shreveport and god knows what else, who according to Sookie, frightened many vampires – including Bill Compton. He talked about him as if Eric was a fragile, confused little boy. And it was so fucking weird to hear Godric calling him 'my child', the way he called…me. "Your child…is he the one you meant when you said I am not the first one whom you call 'my child'?"

"Yes." There was a smile on his face, "but no, I don't sleep with him if that's what you ask."

Godric and his loose mouth. I really had to get used to it. I looked at him. I'd seen every part of him from the top of his hair to the tip of his toes, but somehow tonight, I saw him differently. Under that soft and tender gesture was a volcano which could erupt at any time and when it erupted not even a flying bullet could stop it. Huh, he must have been a real bad ass when he was a human.

Somehow he was just like me. He only could hide his feelings better. Was that why he could understand me, my longing for my mother's love, for he himself had been separated from his own mother when he had been very young and living in hell as a slave? And did he stay close to me because I reminded him to himself and not to the Queen? Would he now take the place of the Queen by giving me the love I needed so that I could find my own way?

My chest was heavy with these thoughts. What he had done to me was unforgivable. He had almost killed me, but I believed, I would have done the same thing if I had been him. After more than two thousand years of searching for my enemy, I wouldn't have been able to handle myself either, when I found out I had been sleeping with him all along.

God, what had happened to him back then?

I reached out my hand. There's only one way to find out. He wanted to tell his story on my bed, so be it.

He looked at me. His pale grey eyes glinted with question and burning passion. "Are you sure?"

I nodded.

He took my hand and stood up. He didn't say a word as I pulled him to my bedroom. I trembled. It wouldn't be the first time he was in my bedroom, but I realized, it was the first time I was the one who 'dragged' him in, without kissing, without clothes-ripping, simply taking his hand and walking together. Somehow, I felt more thrilled than before.

He sat on the edge of the bed as if he had never been on it before. His eyes blinked several times and his hands formed a triangle and were put on his lips.

I realized he was nervous. As nervous as I was, if not even more. I knelt in front of him, taking his hands into mine and held them tightly. If he looked like this, he looked more like a confused teen than an old vampire with the deadly hands.

"What?" I asked softly.

"It will be the second time I tell a human how I became a vampire."

"Who's the lucky one? Eric?"

"No. The Greek."

Jesus! That was so long ago! "What happened with your queen? Didn't you tell her?"

"No...she knew it and she didn't want to talk about it. For her, I remained the same."

"That's a stupid denial."

"It was, but that's her only way to cope with her guilt. She believed she was the one who had made it happen."

"Tell me everything, Godric."

xxxxx


	21. The Bracelets

Author's Note: I read somewhere that Godric's maker was a Roman. I change that. I want to introduce you to other cultures. I chose a Sumerian to be his maker. He came from the land of Isin, existed somewhere in lower Mesopotamia ca. 1798 BC – 1775 BC. The king of Isin at that time was King Enlil-Bani. King Enlil-Bani had a very strange idea of reincarnation (perhaps other kings of Isin as well). Every year this strange dude chose one of the Isin men (from what I read, mostly one of his gardeners) to be a king of one day to be sacrificed, you know, to give impression to his people that the new king was born. So, at the new year's eve, when everybody had fun, the poor dude of king of one day, was sacrificed. The 'old king' died, the 'new king' arose.

So, if somebody ask you to be a queen or a king at the new year's eve...just remember King Enlil-Bani, his idea of reincarnation and the new year's eve... lol.

I read somewhere too, that the Roman influenced the architecture style of the Kingdom of Cush/Kush. I don't know if the Kushites built the bath houses like the Romans did, but I love the idea of Roman bath-houses. There were two kind of Bath-houses.

1. _Balnaeae _were small bathhouses_. _They might be privately owned, but they were public. It meant, they were open to public for a fee.

2. _Thermae _were large baths. They owned by the state and sometimes they were so large that they covered several city blocks._  
_

You can say whatever you want about the Romans, but certainly they did know how to have fun and make money at the same time.

I want to take this chance to wish you all a very merry Christmas and a Happy New Year 2011 (No, I don't choose anybody to be a king/queen...yet ;)).

* * *

Chapter Twenty-One

**The Bracelets**

Godric flattened himself to the red brick wall beside the Queen's room. He heard two persons, one woman and a man, talking in a language he didn't understand. It was the Queen; he recognized her voice, but the man was unknown to him. Who was he and why was he in her chamber?

A month had passed by since their last conversation about the war. The Queen didn't want him to say anything about it, even when the whole town talked and asked him about it. Every time he went to the bazaar, the curious eyes of the merchants would follow him around and with anxiety mentioned the city far distant that had lost half of its people, because they had started to run away from the disaster that came nearer.

The Roman Army was approaching, they said. They could hear the sound of their boots tromping the ground. They could also hear the sound of the trumpets that were blown to call the soldiers to create their deadly formation.

And he, who's living in the center of the power of Meröe, knew nothing.

Perhaps, his uneasiness would have been not strong, if the love, which the Queen once had for him, had remained the same. In this whole month, she had summoned him four times. Yes, they had made love and he had consummated the time with her as if tomorrow would be his last. He still could hear her voice, begging him to stop for she couldn't do it anymore. The sound, which once was so sweet, became agonizing when he slept alone in his room, counting the stars, which could be seen from the window of his room, and praying for Belenus to come earlier.

He was after all, only one of the Queen's harlots and her love for him was fading away. He was being replaced by that stranger, who was talking to her now. There would be no other reason for her to speak to him in her chamber beside her bed; a place he thought would be only for him, if she didn't want that stranger the way she had wanted him.

He sniffed. Suddenly he felt his chest burning. His eyes were hot from sudden anger that came to him. No, he didn't want to be replaced….she may not replace him with anybody else. She was his woman! He didn't care if she was the highest ruler in this land, she was his woman, and he would not let her or anybody else to tell him otherwise. He would force her to be his woman if necessary. He loved her; he had proven to her he wasn't only a good student, but also a good lover. Why couldn't she be satisfied? Wasn't he good enough?

There were days where he wanted to visit one of the slave girls and take one of them to his room, or bring her near the Queen's chamber so she could see she wasn't the only woman in his life, but that wish was gone when he thought about her.

He rubbed his nose. He had to know. He couldn't go on living like this, waiting for her summons and asking questions which couldn't be answered. If he may not enter her room as he pleased, then he preferred to take her offer and leave this land. Even when it meant he would go with an empty chest because his heart would stay here, longing for her love, the way she had given to him once.

Yes, he had to hear it from her own mouth.

He stepped out and was about to enter the room when he heard a loud scream. He turned to the source of the sound. It was from the hall way.

The guards of the Queen's chamber rushed out and unsheathed their swords. "Master Godric," one of them said. "What's going on?"

He didn't know, but he would find out. "Stay here and guard the Queen," he said. "Whatever happens, don't leave."

They nodded.

Godric took a chance to throw his sight to the chamber and his blood ran cold when he saw who was standing inside the room. It was the pale Roman he saw a month ago. His head was very close to her neck, either he was whispering to her, or kissing her, Godric couldn't tell. One thing for sure, he felt his heart beating faster than normally and his jaws were painful for he had clenched his teeth too tightly.

Blinded by anger, he grabbed one of the guard's sword and was about to run to the chamber when he heard the Greek calling him, "Godfrey, come! Help me!"

He gave the sword back to the guard, who was shocked to see how fast he had his sword in his hand, and ran to the Greek.

The torches, which were burning on the wall of the hall way, sent their heat, but the heat he felt inside his chest wasn't from the torches. It was from something deeper in his stomach. The Roman….he knew the Queen had a long trade relationship with some Roman senators, how many of them, he didn't know. None of them, however, had ever visited her in her chamber, at least not since he had become her lover. The guards, who somehow felt pity for him, told him The Queen's chamber was always empty in the night, unless he was with her. The Queen spent most her time, sometimes even until deep in the night, reading rolls of parchment that were sent by her ministers.

A Roman. From all men she could have, she had chosen a Roman to replace him! He didn't accept this. He swore to kill that Roman! He would tear apart his limb and feed them to the lions!

Godric stopped his steps as he saw the Greek holding a woman. For a moment he thought the Greek was trying to break her and make her his woman, but then he saw it was the other way around. The woman was attacking the Greek; she was kicking, scratching, even biting him!

"Godfrey, help me! Get this mad woman off me!"

Godric took the arms of the woman and locked them behind her back. When he saw the face of the woman, he couldn't believe his eyes. It was Amani, the queen's maid! Her eyes were black, and at the corners of her mouth was white foam.

Amani screamed and kicked around, trying to set herself free.

"Quick, Godfrey, we have to bathe her!"

"Bathe her?"

"Yes! We need cold water..."

"Where should we have cold water in the hot evening like this? I don't see any river or lake around the palace!"

"Balnearium, we go to Balnearium!"

Balnearium, as the Greek called, was a room where the Queen normally took a bath. Nobody else may enter that room without the Queen's permission. She took him there several times and let the slaves bathe him.

The room itself had four separated rooms; apodyterium – or a dressing room, where the Queen changed her dress. Before she took a bath, she would play first, either it was a game that once he and she had played, with sticks or wooden swords, or a kind of ball made of roots covered with animal skin. After that, the slaves would remove the dirt and the sweat on their skin with strigils. A strigil was a small curved metal with two little flasks chained on it. At first, Godric thought the slaves wanted to skin him with that metal tool and he almost hurt one of the girls for touching him with the tool.

From apodyterium, they would go to the tepidarium, a warm room, which had heated walls and floors. In the middle of it was a caldarium. It was a small pool, smaller than the swimming pool some rooms away from the Queen's chamber. Different from the swimming pool, caldarium contained very hot water. To cool their neck or face, they used the water from the waist-high fountain they called labrum.

The third room was frigidarium or cold room. It had a cold pool where they used to refresh themselves. On the walls, were ornaments like fish or snakes, with cold water came out from their big mouths.

Godric's favourite room was laconicum, a moist steam, dry heat place, where he just sat there and did nothing. The steam would take care of all dirt to go away from his body and a slave would give him massage with perfumed oils.

Amani screamed, kicked and grabbed everything that was on her way, tried to set herself free from Godric and the Greek. Godric felt sorry for her as he had to drag her on the floor or twist her arm so she couldn't harm the Greek or herself. He didn't care so much with the hitting or the kicking of his body. It didn't hurt him much; but obviously it hurt the Greek a lot. He could see the pain on his face, and the groaning in his voice.

"Put the sandals on your feet, Teacher! The floor is hot!" Godric said when they were at the door of the balnerium. "I'll hold Amani." He held Amani's hand, and locked her with his feet. Amani screamed and even bit his leg, but he ignored her.

After the Greek put the sandals – thick wooden sandals on his feet, and put a pair on Godric's feet, they entered the balnerium. The hot air in the room made it even difficult for Godric to hold Amani still. It seemed the girl had more power than before. The heat seemed somehow strengthen her and her hands were harder. He started feeling the pain and almost let her go, if the Greek hadn't told him to hold on. They were almost there.

Godric shivered from the cold water that poured over his head as they were standing under one of the figures. He bit his tongue to fight the coldness that crept under his skin and straight to the bones. The Greek took one of the strigils and told him to remove the dirt on Amani's skin. Godric swore he saw neither some dirt nor sweat on Amani's skin, nevertheless he did what he had been told. The Greek himself took a sponge and rubbed her skin. Amani stopped screaming. She grabbed his neck and kissed him. Godric pushed her; Amani moved some steps behind, bumped the Greek. Her eyes were wide open in horror. Her mouth opened and said some words, but Godric didn't hear what she was saying; because through the water that slowly froze his joints, he saw the Queen standing on the side of the pool.

Godric stopped scrapping Amani and got out of the pool.

The Queen stood opposite to him. One of her hands was on the hip and the other was pointing at Amani. Godric didn't know what it meant, but he realized the guards, who were standing behind her, rushed to the pool. He jumped back to the pool and stood in front of the Greek and Amani. If the guards wanted to do seize them, they had to face him first.

The guards stopped and turned to the Queen.

The Queen's eyes were blazing with anger, but she didn't say anything. Instead, she turned around and stormed out of the room.

Godric ran to her; the guards caught his arms. "Let me go, or your blood will stain the floor," he hissed.

"Master Godric," one of the guards said, "don't make us turn against you."

"Then let me go."

They looked at each other for some moment, and then the guards let him go.

Godric ignored the burn feeling under his feet as he walked across the room barefoot. He wouldn't let her go this time. He would break down the door if it's necessary. He didn't like to be treated like a slave or a harlot, and she had to hear it. Now.

When Godric reached the Queen's chamber, he saw the guards' faces were pale. They were even sweating. Inside the chamber he heard loud noises. Somebody was throwing things and shouting rapidly.

"Master Godric…"

"Leave," he said. "It's between your queen and me."

"But…"

"Leave. Now."

The two guards nodded and left the door.

Godric entered the chamber and slammed the door behind him. On the floor were pieces of potteries spreading around.

"IN MY BATH ROOM! WITH MY MAID!"

He heard the Queen screaming.

"I'LL KILL HER WITH MY OWN HAND, IF…."

The Queen stopped screaming as their eyes met. The bedroom was in a mess. Everywhere there were cushions, pieces of potteries, weapons and gods only knew what else.

The Queen raised her head. "What do you want? Are you finished giving my maid a bath? Is she pleasing you?"

For a moment Godric was confused with her questions, when slowly he understood what was going on. The Queen was angry seeing him with Amani. She was angry seeing him with a woman…she was jealous. The anger that had been raging inside his stomach was gone.

Carefully avoiding the pieces of the potteries, he walked towards her.

"Don't you dare touching me," she said. "I won't allow you touch me with your dirty hand…."

But Godric ignored her. He took her hand and pulled her into his arms. By Aeron, how he missed her! How bright were her eyes when she was angry like this! How beautiful….

"Godric, let me go!" She hit his chest, but not strong enough, and probably didn't mean it either. Godric knew how painful her hit could be, and what she had done just now was light. "Godric…" she sighed as he took her neck and kissed her. By Aeron, how he missed her! He lifted her body and wanted to take her to the bed when at the corner of his eyes, he caught some objects on the table he had never seen before. A pair of bracelets and a white veil.

Slowly he put her down. He went to the table and took the one of the bracelets. Roman bracelet. It's made of bronze, a solid bracelet with red stones on it. In the middle of it was a square shape with a letter E in the middle of it. The other one had a similar style, but made of gold and instead of a square shape, there was a small figure of a woman with four blue wings, wearing a vulture diadem.

The anger came again.

"You received his present," he hissed.

"Yes."

He turned around and threw the bracelet to the floor. His eyes were hot again. He walked toward her. "You were almost ordering your guards to seize us only a while after you had taken his present! A Roman's present, in your bedroom chamber!"

"Godric…" the Queen moved backward.

"A Roman! Of all men, you replace me with a Roman! A ROMAN?"

"You don't understand…"

"What is it that I don't understand?" his rage was rushing to his head. "You were angry seeing me with your maid, and I am supposed to accept that you received a gift from a Roman?"

"It's for you."

"I'D RATHER DIE THAN TO RECEIVE A GIFT FROM A ROMAN, AND I'D RATHER DIE THAN TO SEE MY WOMAN BECOME A ROMAN'S HARLOT, GIVE HERSELF TO MY ENEMY AND BECOME HIS FEET WASHER!" He spat on the floor.

Plack!

The Queen's eyes were blazing. "How dare you to raise your voice to me, your master! You're my slave, behave yourself!"

The anger now overtook him and he lost the last control he had. "A SLAVE?" He grabbed her hand and pushed her to the bed. "I'LL SHOW YOU WHO THE MASTER IS!"

"GODRIC….NO!"

But Godric didn't hear anything anymore. He had seen some of his Norsemen brothers force their wills to the women of their conquered villages, how they ripped off their clothes and made the women beg for a mercy. They had done it to show who the masters were. To degrade the pride of the women and at the end, many times, they killed the women so that they wouldn't carry their Norse blood.

He wasn't going to kill the Queen, but surely he would show her who the master was. The sound of ripping cloth and the Queen's voice begging him to stop filled the air and was lost somewhere in the room without anybody caring. The more she begged him to stop, the more he was eager to destroy her pride and make her his. He forced her legs to open wide and was about to force himself into her when he saw her face. She turned her face away with tears roll down on her cheek. She had stopped fighting, she even had stopped begging.

He lifted his body and sat on the edge of the bed. By Aeron…what was he doing…? He was about to hurt the woman whom he loved. He probably had done it. And it's all because of his jealousy and anger, more toward himself than toward the Roman or the Queen. Only the gods knew how much he wanted to make the Queen his woman. She belonged to him the day they slept with each other and he wanted to keep it that way. It hurt to know there had been other men who had touched her and it hurt him more to think there were other men who touched her now or was going to touch her after she became his.

And those presents were just like drops of water in an already filled cask. It hurt so much to realize except his virgin body, he had nothing else to give her; it hurt so much it made him want to cry.

"Godric…." A soft touch was on his back, then an embrace.

No…he didn't want her pity….

She released her embrace and made him face her. "My love…" she touched his face and wiped off something around his eyes. He had cried after all.

"I don't want you to be with other men…or receive gifts…from them…" He tried to be stern, but even he knew it was unsuccessful. His voice sounded somber. A soft touch touched the tattoo on his chest, "Especially not from a Roman."

"You have to stop that hate."

"Hate protects me."

"No, it doesn't. It blinds you."

The anger slowly arose in him again, but also sadness and frustration. "You like him? If you like him more than you like me because he can give you more…." He stopped and turned around. Any freeman in this kingdom could give her more. He didn't own anything. He ate her food, drank her water, wore the clothes she had given, he even slept in her bed!

"My love...," she wrapped her arm around him. The warmth spread from his back slowly crept on his skin, made his limb grow hard. "Don't you know you have given me more than any man?" Now she put her head on his shoulder. "You have given me your freedom. You could've left, but you decided to stay and be my slave."

"But I can't give you anything else. No necklace, no bangles, no bracelet…"

"What you have given me can't be valued with all those man made goods."

"But I want to give you something man made! I want you to be my woman, wearing my gifts!" he said, desperately trying not to cry. "I don't want any other man to have you…to touch you…"

There was a silence. And then, with a voice that sounded like from a distance, she said, "I am yours."

He turned around. His eyes were getting hotter and not being able to stop himself, he cried. This time, it wasn't a cry of anguish, but of feelings that were hard to explain.

"Oh, Godric," she kissed his cheek. "Doomed is your fate to take a woman who could be your mother as your woman."

"You're not my mother," he wiped off his tears. "You're my woman and the future mother of my children."

"One at a time, my love. When I give you a son, then we can talk about children."

A son who would continue his name…that's what the people in his village always said when their women were pregnant. The women's stomachs would grow bigger and bigger and then after some time, they would call a druid to help them with their newborn children. Now a woman was talking about giving him a son…he turned around. His son….he touched her stomach. Yes…his very own son…

She laid her body down. Carelessly she removed the rest of the cloth that still covered her. "Come here, you young fool. I'll show you how much you mean to me."

Xxxxx

Godric lay facing the Queen with his eyes half closed. It was some time after the Queen had made love to him. He still could feel his heart beating irregularly; he could also feel the warm sweat that was rolling down on his back.

She had made love to him like she had never done before. She hadn't allowed him to do anything, but to lay there and had spoiled him with her kisses. He could only lay there on the bed, wait impatiently for her to touch him, to kiss him and to drive all his senses mad with joy. He groaned and moaned as she kissed, bit and sucked him. He grabbed the sides of the bed as he felt his body shake from the lust that came abruptly. When she fell on him, like a feather, he wrapped his arms around her and held her tight. By Aeron, how he loved her!

"You should see people as people, Godric, not from their skin colour, tribes or the gods they worship," she touched his nose gently. "It will make you see the world with different eyes."

"I see you as a woman even when you have different skin colour and gods." His hand trailed on her body. "I never see you as a Kushite."

"Then, why can't you see the same thing in Enlil?"

Enlil…that was his name, "Of all people," he said, "I thought you would understand why I can't have a love for Romans."

"Yes, your previous masters were mostly Romans. How could you give love to your Norse brothers, but not to the Romans and I am not talking about your masters, but the other Romans. They gave you the same markings as the Roman and possibly treated you just the same?"

"The markings I had received from my Norse brothers are to honor me, a sign that I am part of them. Meanwhile the marking I received from the Roman is to humiliate me, a sign that I am nothing but a possession which they will destroy or replace as soon as I am broken or not useful."

"My love, one day you will understand, that not everyone is the same, even when they are from the same tribe," she got up, but Godric caught her hand.

"Where are you going? The night is still early."

She smiled. "I want to show you something."

Godric smiled. He loved her words, those words. They had been the words that opened her bedroom door. It would only mean good. He let her hand go.

She got down from the bed; when she returned she had the bracelets and the white veil. "These are for you from Enlil. You should wear them so that he can look after you….ssst," she shook her head as he wanted to protest.

"Listen to me, Godric, and listen carefully. I've heard some troublesome rumors that outside the town, there are some activities that do not please me. There is a new god that has been introduced by a priest, which spreads like fire. I am an understanding person, who is open to new ways or gods. I would allow new religions to be taught, as long as it wasn't against the rules and the tradition of my people.

"But what I heard about this new religion doesn't please me. The followers of this new religion will gather every night, drink bier and mead, dance around the fire and copulate with each other in front of everybody as if they had no shame. They neglect their duty as mothers or fathers; they do not tend their houses or even do their duty as citizen of this land.

"I can't allow this religion to spread on my land.

"Enlil told me this religion already has some followers inside my palace. He warns me to be very careful, otherwise when my objection to this religion reaches the ears of the priest, then I or the one I love will be in danger. He believes I am well protected, but he is concerned about you. He asks me to give this bracelet to you," she gave him the bronze bracelet, "and asks you to wear it all time so that he will know who you are in time of danger."

"I will not…"

She put her finger on his mouth. "If you love me, Godric, you will wear this bracelet so that my weariness will be in rest." She took the other bracelet. "And I have its partner. This is from me."

Godric took the golden bracelet and put it on his wrist. He touched the woman figure. "Is this supposed to be you?"

"No, my love. This is Mother Goddess Mut, the consort of Amun, the protector of lovers. She has the eye of the sun, I pray for her to watch over you."

Godric kissed her.

"Please, my love. Wear the one from Enlil. You will release me from this fear if you do."

Reluctantly, Godric put the bronze bracelet on his other wrist. The bracelet was heavy, as if it was made from iron; as if it had been a chain to bind him, like a slave. "So be it," he muttered.

The Queen smiled. "It's not difficult, is it?"

"With one condition."

"Name it."

"I may come here as I please. Treat me like I am your man and not your slave."

"Godric, it's a difficult question you are asking."

Godric opened the bracelet, "Then, I don't need…"

The Queen put her hand on the bracelet and closed it. "Keep them on. I agree."

Godric pulled her closer to him. "I love you, my Queen, my woman."

She kissed him soft and deep. "My beloved slave…my virgin lover…"

They made love again that night. Like two dancers dancing around the fire under the silver light of moon, they moved slowly. The kisses were as passionate as before, but they were longer and more careful. Her touch, which burned his body, was tender. She followed every curve of his body, every wound he had. The grips were no longer grips of a warrior, but more of a girl's who was playing with her most precious treasure. He touched her body likes a druid painted a warrior's body with sacred symbols; gently, tender and full of respect. She was his most precious possession, more precious than his own freedom, even his life.

A long and high cry came out of her sweet mouth as they reached the peak of their pleasure. When he got off from her body and threw himself on her side, he was spent. He was tired, very tired. He felt the power which he had had before leave him. She was lying beside him, covering her face with both hands. When he removed her hands, he saw tears roll down on her cheek. "My Queen," he kissed her cheek. "Did I hurt you? Why are you crying?"

She hugged him tightly, "No, my love. You didn't hurt me. I am crying because I haven't felt happy like this for a very long time."

He kissed her head, "My Queen."

He made a promise that night he would treat her the way he had treated her that night; gently, passionate and patient, nor he would force his will to her.

Xxxxx

It was early morning when a soft touch woke him up. Instinctively, he grabbed that hand and twisted it around.

"Master Godric, it's me, Amani," a woman's cry made him to let his hand go.

"What are you doing here?" he got off from the bed and dragged her away from the bed. The Queen was still sleeping. Her naked back was gleaming under the soft lamp at the corner.

"Cover your body, Master, your teacher wishes to see you."

The blush on Amani's cheek made Godric realize he was standing naked in front her. He took his trouser, which was on the bed and put it on.

"Godric…where are you going?" asked the Queen in sleepy voice.

"Sleep, my Queen. I'll come back soon."

The Queen muttered some words, moved a little and continued sleeping.

Almost running, Amani led him to the Greek's room. His teacher was sitting. On the table in front of him was a roll of a parchment. His eyes were on Godric's bracelets.

"Her Majesty gave me this," Godric touched the golden bracelet. After clearing his throat, he continued, "This one is from a Roman."

"He's not a Roman," The Greek took his bracelet and touched the Letter E carefully. "He is a man of Isin, a city that is prospered by the River of Tigris. A long lost King of One day of Isin."

"A king? Is this a mark of a king?" Godric looked at the 'E'.

"No, this is a mark of his god, Etana, the shepherd, the one who came down from the sky and gather souls and foreign lands."

Godric sat down. "Is he trying to gather Meröe?"

"No, young Godfrey. Enlil was not a king, but a tender of the King's garden, who was made a king for a day, before he was sacrificed to the God. But Etana saved him and …." The Greek fell into silence. Then, he continued with a heavier voice, "I see he has chosen you."

"I wouldn't wear his chain if the Queen didn't beg me."

"Beg you? What a big word you use, my dear Young Godfrey!"

Godric pressed his smile. But it broke out as he said, "She's my woman. There are times when she has to beg to make her wishes come true."

The Greek laughs. "Indeed, she is. Young Godfrey, what a proud soul you are, now I begin to understand why many Romans want to break you, why a worshipper of Etana has chosen you." His eyes became soft. His face was calm. "But I don't take you out of Her Majesty's bed for talking about the gifts. There is another more pressing matter that you must know, Young Godfrey.

"I want to talk to you about Amani and what happened to her. Listen carefully, Young Godfrey, you might face the same danger. I know you are a skilled warrior and you will be able to handle any dangerous situation. But this is not the time to use your fighting skill because it's your feelings, fears and wishes which will be attacked.

"Enlil came to me some time ago, and he warns us about the danger that lurks outside the palace's walls. As I witnessed it with my own eyes, the priests of Dionysus are starting to possess the souls of many lives on this land. Women and men are made drunk and forgot their dignities and being lured to the danger of losing their faith on what is good and what is evil. The degradation of people's morals is only a step away from the destruction of the land."

"Why can't we look for the priests and punish them?"

"It's not easy to punish somebody when the rules are no longer clear and when the soul and spirit of the men or women whose duty is to uphold the law are corrupted and tarnished. When they are influenced and commanded by a higher power; when they have no longer understanding of what is right and what is wrong.

"It's also not easy to find a demigod."

"What is a demigod, Teacher?"

"Demigod is a being, who is neither human nor god. He or she possesses a power, a beauty or strength that a normal human doesn't. Some might be called nymphs. The priests of Dionysus were once only human, but graced and possessed by their greed and love to their god, they became maenads. 'Raving Women' that's what the Athenians called them, for they would dance, sing and pray to their god all of their life. They will neglect love or compassion from other humans, for their body and their mind are only for their god. In their heads they utter no words, but the song of praise to their god.

"Lytta is the most dangerous priest of them all. She is beloved by Dionysus for she will sacrifice everything she has for him, including her human soul. The god has given her one of his beloved guards, a Faun, who will accompany her and do her bidding. With one prize, his loyalty has to be paid with a virgin that will be ravished by him during the full moon.

Oh, the poor maiden and boys who become his prey for their bodies will be broken or carry a creature most unimaginable!"

Then, they fell into silence.

Godric didn't know how a faun looked like, but it must have been a being with a terrible form, perhaps like one-eyed Balor, the god of Death, who could kill human only by looking at him. Otherwise, the Greek's face wouldn't have been that pale.

"The Queen has heard about this," said Godric after a while. "She isn't pleased and she wants to look at the matter closely."

Now the Greek's pale face was covered with horror. "You have to stop her, Godfrey! The followers of the priest or the priest herself may not hear this. If they do…I could only imagine death would be upon her. Not any kind of death…but a terrible death, just like what had happened to the King of Thebes, whose flesh being torn by his mother."

"How would I stop a queen from exercising her power? I am nothing but her lover and not her ward."

"She loves you, Young Godfrey. She will do anything for you."

Godric touched the golden bracelet. Yes, he knew and he was sure of it now.

"Take me to her, Master Godric." Amani, who had been silence the whole time, spoke. She walked toward him and knelt down. "I have caused you a great deal of trouble in front of Her Majesty. Take me to her so that I can tell her my story."

"Amani, you and I know the best thing you can do for the moment is to stay away from Her Majesty, until you are summoned. She had almost given a decree to kill you."

"I know, Master Godric. But she will listen to you. You are her beloved slave; your wish is her command."

Just the night before, Amani had screamed and tried to set her free from him. Now, she was kneeling down in front of him, begging him to be taken to the Queen's chamber. Godric wasn't sure if it would be a good idea. Amani could behave erratically again and it would only cost her life. He liked Amani; he didn't want it to happen to her.

"I know I have drunk a lot lately and my behavior is not at its best," Amani bowed. "Last night was probably the worst of all. I have no explanation or apology for what I have done. I am willing to be punished as well, but before all that, Master Godric, please take me to the Queen. She must hear what I know. It's only for her well being."

"She has been cured, Godric. Her body is clean, and her mind cleared. She's no longer a threat to anybody. Take her to the Queen before it's too late."

xxxxxx


	22. Of Goodbyes and Seeing Again

Chapter Twenty-two

**Of Goodbyes and Seeing Again**

I turned around the bracelet. I wore a two thousand year old bracelet. If somebody from an Archeological Journal ever found out about this, I believed, they would never leave me alone. "So, this was yours?"

"Yes." Godric took my hand and looked at the bracelet. "But it's not complete. The Goddess is missing."

"It must be difficult for you to be apart from this bracelet."

There was no reaction. I looked up to find his eyes looked thoughtful. "I don't…I don't have a real connection with it emotionally. We are attached to each other because of what the Greek did. I can always feel its presence and it can feel me."

"That's scary shit."

He touched the stones. "Yes, it is."

I looked at him. I thought he had been joking, but no, his face was hard. He was serious. He – Vampire Godric, who made Eric Northman; the sheriff of Shreveport, who scared the hell of many vampires, looked like a school boy, … was afraid?

"What?" he asked without lifting his face. "Do you think I am free from those feelings too?"

"I always thought that vampires do not have any feelings at all. I mean, you suck people! You kill people for living!"

"No, I kill people for surviving. Humans have been killing each other for millenniums; still you think they have feelings. What makes them different from us?"

I came to him, lay my head on his lap. "No difference at all, I guess, now that I know you."

He stroked my hair. "Is it difficult to acknowledge that we are more or less the same?"

"Yeah, somehow…"

"I had the same difficulties too, to acknowledge that Romans were more or less the same like us, the Celts. I know how you feel."

I smiled. "Where is the other bracelet?"

"In _Ägyptisches Museum und Papyrussammlung des Neuen Museums_."

I looked at him. "English, please?"

"It's in the Egyptian Museum, a part of Neues Museum, in Berlin. I gave it to the archaeologists who had done archaeological project at Naga, Sudan."

"Berlin…?"

"Germany, not Berlin – Vermont."

"How do you know there's a city named Berlin in Vermont?"

He touched my nose. "My child, I had been here before Berlin City in Vermont or any other cities in this new world was founded."

Yeah, right. I was talking to an ancient man, why did I keep forgetting that?

"Enlil didn't mind," I asked, "that you gave it away?"

"No, he didn't. He couldn't. He met the sun long time ago."

"What do you mean, 'met the sun'? He died?"

"Yes, voluntarily. One day, he thought he had enough with his life and he wanted to redeem his mistakes by walking out in morning, letting the sun taking his body."

I touched his face. He said it so easily as if it had been something meant to happen. "How did you and Enlil meet? He hadn't visited your queen again after that night, had he?"

"Yes, he had. Several times."

"And…?"

His face was hard. "Yes, I was jealous of him, but I was very young back then. Even when she proved to me again and again that I meant a lot to her, I couldn't stop the feeling. I am not justifying what I did to her; age doesn't free you from your mistakes or your crimes. What I did to her was a crime; what I did to you at Merlotte's was a crime. I could've killed you."

"Yes, you could've." I pulled his face to mine and kissed him. "I am not forgiving you," I smiled.

He smiled back at me. "But?"

"I want you to promise me never to do it again and we're quit."

He kissed me on the tip of my nose. "I promise." He took a pillow and put my head on it. Then, he lay down beside me. "It will be very difficult for all of us in the next three days. We all will face the hardest fight, the fight against ourselves. I failed once; I may not fail again."

"You won't. You've got me. If I am a seer like you said I am, we will make it, Godric."

"Why do you want to help me?"

"Nobody hurts me and gets away with it," but as I saw his big pale grey eyes widen, I continued. "You did it unintentionally, but she didn't. She planned everything. She even sent my mother to do it."

"I don't think that your mother knows about it."

"I am not so sure about that, Godric. My mother will do anything for her fix."

"My dear Tara, your anger towards your mother will only strengthen her power. If you can forgive me; you can also forgive your mother."

"Who said I am forgiving you? I told you I didn't," but I smiled.

He took me in his arms, and soon I was below him. We kissed some more and then he rolled his body down. I cuddled him and was shocked by the blue line that now reached my elbow.

"What did you see, Tara?"

"Blue line," I said, touching the line. "It's here now."

He caressed my hand. "If I don't make it…"

"Don't say that," I interrupted him.

"If I don't make it…listen to me, if I don't make it, you ask Sam to drive you to Doctor Ludwig and leave this country. I'll call my lawyers to arrange everything for you so that you will have no financial problem living…."

I put my hand on his mouth. "I don't want to hear that. I don't want your money."

"I know. I'll make it nevertheless."

"Where would I go, Godric? Running will not solve any problem."

"You don't run, you hide and prepare yourself until you are strong enough to face her."

I didn't like this conversation. I held him tight. "Tell me what happened next," I tried to change the subject. "Did you take Amani to the queen? Was she angry with her?"

"Promise me something, Tara, and I will tell you the rest of the story."

I bit my lip. No, I didn't want to promise him anything, I knew what he wanted to say.

"Tara…"

"Oh, all right. I promise…"

"Like you really mean it."

I sighed. "I promise."

"If I don't make it, somebody from Dallas, Isabella is her name, will come to pick you up. You will go with her and do what she says. Isabella is my deputy sheriff; she is a vampire and a trustworthy one. She will protect you the best she can, you have to trust me on this."

This was worse than saying goodbye. First, Godric had said goodbye in his own way to Eric, now he was saying it to me. If I had a choice, I would prefer that he said simply 'goodbye'.

"Will you do that?"

I closed my eyes. No, I wouldn't. Sookie would stay here, and so would Jason. I didn't want to run away like a coward, leaving all my friends behind.

"Eric will protect Sookie; he cares too much for her to simply let her be harmed by Callisto." said Godric, as if he had heard what I was thinking. "I am also certain the faeries will protect her and her brother. You don't need to worry."

His face was close to mine. There was weariness in his pale grey eyes that I had never seen before. "I am tired of fighting, Tara. Two thousand years of chasing has made me feel old and used. I want this fight to end. What an irony that I feel at the same time, a new life has just begun. Maybe this new life will not last long because I believe you will only live for sixty or seventy years, but if you give me some years of your short life, it will be worth having."

"You're a son of a bitch; you know that, don't you? Saying words that I want to hear so you get what you want." I touched his face. I took a deep breath to get rid of an uneasy feeling in my chest. "I'll do it, Godric." I said, finally. "I'll leave Bon Temps as soon as it's over."

"Thank you," he kissed me, soft and deep. "Now I can concentrate on her."

"How will you do it? You can't go to her house and holler: 'Hi, you come out and face me like a man!'"

"That would be the worst strategy possible."

He said it in such a dry and cold tone that made me blush. Yeah, he's right. That would be stupid. "How did you do it back then? You said you followed the faun?"

"Yes, but I was only human back then. I couldn't sense him or see him in his true form. And he was very clever. He could appear in other forms, the form I wanted him to see."

"Like shape-shifting?"

"In the sense, yes. You see him the way you want him to be. He goes inside your mind and makes your most secret desire come true."

"That's scary. How will I be able to know that it isn't real?"

"By being logical and alert. You don't believe that somebody could change herself in 24 hours, do you? Or your idol comes down to earth only to grace you in the moment of danger?"

"Probably not," I looked at him. "What if he becomes you?" Or Jason….

He caressed my face. "Then listen to your body and use your eyes," he was getting closer…

Soon we rolled ourselves from left to right; touched each other desperately, but as soon as his fangs were out, he removed himself from me and sat on the edge. "We can't do it, Tara." His voice sounded growling. "I can't bite you, and I can't promise you that I won't and I don't know how your body will react to my semen."

I cleared my throat. "You're right." I sat and leaned on the wall. "What happens if the doctor can't cure me? Does it mean I can't have it with you or with a human?"

He turned around. His fangs made that soft face looked sinister. "If she can't cure you, you will die as soon as the poison reaches your heart. You don't have to worry about not being able to have sex."

My jaw dropped. He said it as if it hadn't meant anything.

He got up. "It's late now. You'd better try to get some sleep." He walked to the door. "I'll go to see Eric."

No, he couldn't leave me just like that after he told me that I could die in some days. "Godric…"

He stopped, but he didn't turn around.

"Look at me and tell me again what you just said."

He turned around and I saw two red lines appear from the corners of his eyes down to his cheek. "If she can't cure you…."

"I will die as soon as the poison reaches my heart…" I continued his sentence in awe. He had cried…for me.

"And I or any vampire won't be able to turn you."

I got down from the bed and walked to him. "I don't want to be turned. Whatever happens to me, promise me that you won't turn me." I wanted to wipe off his tears, but he caught my hands. "Don't touch my blood," he said. "It can go inside your body…" he kissed them, "We don't know how it will react. Go to sleep, Tara. Rest. It's the best thing you can do for your body for the moment."

Then he left me standing inside my bedroom, bewildered.

Xxxxx

Sookie came early in the morning. How she was able to wake up early after the whole night standing on her feet was always a mystery to me. She made a pot of coffee and with her pouty mouth she sat beside me on the porch. She couldn't sleep. Well, she wasn't the only one. I couldn't sleep either, not after last night.

"Eric sleeps in the small room behind the closet," she said, explaining why she couldn't sleep.

I didn't see the problem of it. "Really, Sookie, if I were you, I would have jumped on him a long time ago already! Time moves on and you don't know what will happen tomorrow."

"Hey…are you okay?"

I told her what Godric had said to me. Her mouth was open and tears fell from her bright blue eyes. "I…I am so selfish," she said, taking me to her arms. "I am so sorry, Tara."

I closed my ears and I felt my cheek warm with tears. Slowly I let her go. "I have to see my mother," I said. "I have to know why she did what she did to me."

"Your mother!" Sookie wiped off her tears. "I've never known anybody who's more heartless than she is."

"Yeah, me neither." I wiped off my tears. "She has to know that she is killing me. Even when Godric's doctor can cure me, she has to hear that."

"But you are not going to the hotel, are you? You can't. Eric said that the best thing we can do is to stay together. He said, we are a group of few people. Together, we might have a chance to fight her, but separately, we will only weaken ourselves. Jason is good with weapons, I can read minds, Andy…well, I don't know what Andy can do and Sam, he can change into anything and go inside Callisto's house unnoticed. We have to make a plan, Tara. We can't go inside the place headlong."

"You're right."

The hot summer morning air left traces on the leaves. Their edges had begun to get yellowish and some leaves even began to roll themselves. Soon, autumn would come. I probably wouldn't be able to witness the leaves changing their color. I wouldn't even be able to see them flying in the air before they landed on the ground.

I sighed. Yeah, I probably wouldn't be able to do a lot of things. But there were two things I knew I could do, talk to my mother and face Callisto. Yeah, I could do that. And I'd do the best I could. I'd make sure that none of them would forget what they had done to me.

Jason came around noon. The skin around his nose was still black, but it seemed his nose had already been cured. He looked relieved when I said Godric didn't sleep over. First, he seemed not to believe me, but when Sookie said that Godric and Eric talked the whole night with a language that sounded like one of the Muppet figures, he grinned.

"I'm not afraid of him," he said, excusing himself, making both Sookie and me lift our eyebrows. "But he was damn scary last night and fast, damn fast! I shot him, bang, and I was damn sure that I hit his heart, and then the next thing I know, I was on the floor and my nose was hurting like hell and he was on top of me with his fangs out. His blood was dripping from his chest, but he didn't show any pain. I thought, 'Oh, shit, now I am gonna die.' Then, I heard Sam saying, 'Godric, you have to help me with Tara!' Not even a second, and he was already by Sam. He lifted you and then he went out. The room was totally silent. I didn't even hear a beep! Andy helped me get up on my feet and Imogene took care of my nose. Then slowly the room had sound again. Most of them murmured that they had reasons to be afraid of vampires. They were crazy out of control sons of bitches!

"Andy said I was lucky that Godric didn't mean to hurt me. Otherwise, he would've aim for my neck instead of punching me like a jealous boyfriend." His eyes went straight to mine when he said 'jealous boyfriend'. "What did you tell him about me anyway?"

Shit. I cursed myself. "Nothing," I forced myself to be as cool as possible. "You want more coffee, Jay?"

His jaws moved. "Yeah, sure. Why not?"

"Yeah, Tara…" Sookie whispered. "What did you tell Godric about Jason?"

"Don't be such a nosy gal!" I elbowed her.

Sookie knew that I had a crush on Jason like forever. She had even said once that she didn't like the idea of us together because she believed her brother would only hurt me. He's not a faithful type. Until he could settle down, she'd rather see him stay as far as possible away from me.

Jason drank his coffee without letting his eyes off me. Thank God, he didn't flash his smile; otherwise, I would've broken some cups.

"Where did you go last night?" asked Sookie, saving me from an awkward moment.

"Looking for Jane Bodehouse. Andy insisted that he get his clothes and his notebook back. I can tell you that was crazy. Sam took off his clothes and asked us to keep them for him. For a moment I thought he went nuts. Then, he changed into a dog. Andy was so shocked that he almost fell…he would've, if I hadn't caught him. Andy looked at me and said, 'That…that is the dog you used to play with…it's been Sam all along? Jesus Christ!'. What could I say?

"We followed him walking through the bushes and sometimes hid behind the trees when he suddenly jumped to the bushes. I thought Sam was only kidding us when we heard some people laughing and shouting not far from us. It was damn frightening to see people walk aimlessly and drunken like that. And what is more frightening is to see Hoyt among them."

"Hoyt? Hoyt is the kindest man I've ever known!" said Sookie in disbelief. "He rarely said bad things inside his head."

"Yeah, but he's lonely." Jason hit the cup with his fingers. He avoided our gazes when he continued, "He's been under his mother's crazy rule all of his life! He isn't a free man; he can't do anything without his mother's permission. Whatever he did was never good enough for her; and on the other hand, he was too good for anybody to get near him. His mother is a crazy bitch who wants to have him for herself."

"What happened then?" I asked.

"I wanted to follow them, but Andy stopped me," said Jason. "After everybody had passed us by, he said there was nothing we could do anymore. Our priority was to find Jane Bodehouse and get back his clothes and notebook. Those people were dangerous. They weren't themselves anymore. Whatever they would do, they would do it under somebody's order. We would only hurt ourselves.

"I didn't know how long or where Sam had taken us; it was almost dawn when finally we found Jane Bodehouse. She was naked, sleeping under a dead tree, beside the river. Andy's clothes were beside her. Sam took the clothes and the notebook one by one, and when he had almost finished taking the clothes, Jane woke up. Andy and I had to dive in behind the bushes so that she couldn't see. She called out some names, asking if we were there. I rarely pray, you know, but swear to God, I have never prayed so hard as that moment. Through the bushes we saw Sam being cuddled by Jane…," Jason drank his coffee and forced himself to swallow it. "Sam bit the trousers and ran away from her. We also ran from there as soon as we felt that Jane didn't see us anymore.

"I was so tired after that. I told Andy I wanted to go home and catch some sleep. Andy told me to come here when I woke up and he and Sam would meet me here."

Jason played with his cup. "What do you think happened to Merlotte's?"

Sookie and I looked at each other. Merlotte's was the last thing on my mind for the moment, to be honest.

"Poor Sam," Jason continued. "He's been building that restaurant for how long? Five years? Pity, if it's ruined by that fucking crazy bitch!"

I sighed. Yeah, he's right.

Andy and Sam came separately. Both of them looked tired and sleepy. Their eyes were red and their hair was tousled. Andy looked amazingly older in just one day. Sookie made a pot of fresh coffee.

My heart jumped as Andy put the things he had found at the crime scene on the table. A new and yet familiar figure gleamed under the late afternoon sunlight that went through the window. It was a figure of a woman with four blue wings just like what Godric said. My hand trembled as I took the figure.

"Tara, it's…" Andy didn't continue his sentence as Sam put his hand on Andy's.

The figure was made of gold with fused glass inlays. On top of her vulture diadem were two little crowns. She was Mother Goddess Mut, the protector of lovers, like Mother Maria protects her son, Jesus and his followers.

Tears rolled down my cheek. Godric would be very happy to see the gift of his lover again.

"Hey, are you okay, Tara?" Sookie came to me. "You seem to know this figure."

I wiped off my tears. "It's a part of this bracelet. It must have been torn from the bracelet when Callisto tried to choke me."

"Let me see it," said Sam. "I learned a bit about jewelry and watches making when I was in Germany."

"Sorry about your clock, Sam," said Andy. "Kevin shot it with Jason's gun."

Sam shrugged. "Forget about it. I can always ask for the new one."

Why hadn't he said that all along? Many nerves would've been saved from misery if he had said it earlier.

With the help of solder and hot tin, the figure was connected again, dangling in the middle of the bracelet.

"It's a beautiful bracelet," said Sookie touching it.

"It belongs to Godric," I said, which made the eyes in the room widen. "It was a gift from his girlfriend."

Andy snorted. "If my girlfriend gave me a gift like that, I would be stuck on her like glue and marry her as soon as I could."

Oh, Godric had been stuck like glue on his queen all right and I wondered if he had ever asked her to marry him. He had said that the queen agreed to be his woman. I didn't know and perhaps would never know if 'his woman' meant also 'his wife'.

"What else did Godric say?" asked Sam. "Did he tell you how to deal with our problem?"

I shook my head. "It seems he left it all to us. His main goal is Callisto. He never really talks about how to deal with our drunken neighbors. Talking about our drunken neighbors, did any of you see Lafayette or Imogene?"

They shook their heads.

"Did you already go to his house?" asked Andy.

I shook my head.

"I'll go," said Jason. He got up. "If he's not at home, I'll go straight to Merlotte's."

I came to him and kissed his cheek. "Thank, Jay."

He nodded, smiling.

"Jason, bring the gun with you," said Andy.

Jason patted his hip. He was prepared.

I watched his car moving away from the front yard. Jason seemed different in these last days. He wasn't the care-free, king of fun Jason Stackhouse anymore. Maybe it was Kevin and Hoyt's situation that forced him to think and act more reasonable and thoughtfully so that he could save his friends; or maybe he was the kind of man who became mature when he was under a lot of pressure, like diamonds which were formed only when there was enough pressure.

I sighed. Whatever it was, I was glad I had another shoulder to lean on, a shoulder that wouldn't be burnt under the light of sun.

xxxxx


	23. The Gathering of Four Kinds

**Author's note**: Happy New Year, everybody!

Chapter Twenty-three

**The Gathering of Four Kinds**

Sookie jumped on her feet as soon as the sun went down in the west. "Eric is going to wake up soon," she said. "I'd better be there; otherwise he will look for me."

I followed her with my eyes. Had I just heard her correctly? But her figure disappeared around the corner before I could answer my own question.

Jason hadn't returned yet.

I couldn't count how many times I looked at the door and hoped Jason would come up with Lafayette. But the small road that led to Lafayette's house was as silent as it had been before. I wanted to go to fetch them, but Sam stopped me.

"It'd be better if you stay here, Tara," he said. "We wait for Eric and Godric to wake up and talk about our next steps."

"You knew her, Sam. What do you think she will do next?"

Sam wiped off his mouth. "I think she will continue having the party until it's time to sacrifice somebody for the faun. I don't know how long it will take…,"

"Two or three days," I said.

Sam looked at me, shocked. "That's not very long. We have to move fast. Somebody has to go to her house and investigate, to know what we are dealing with.

"I can go," said Andy. "Callisto doesn't know me. I can pretend I am also under her influence."

"No," I said. "We have to wait, at least until one of the vampires is here. I don't want us separated. I'll call Jason and ask him where he is."

When I was about to pick up the phone, a loud scream stopped me and made Sam and Andy run outside.

"HOT! AAARGH! IT'S HOT! HEEEELP! HEEELP!"

The door opened; Imogene fell to the floor, almost being thrown. Her irises were black and there was mud all over her face. She looked at me and ran to me. "Help! You've got to help me. Don't let him touch me again, have mercy on me, I don't want to be burnt…." She held my feet. "He has a pact with the devil! Don't let him touch me!"

Sam, Andy and Jason went inside.

"I swore I didn't do anything!" Jason said, lifting his hands. "I saw her walking down the street to the woods; I wanted to ask her if she saw Lafayette and she started screaming. What should I do? If I didn't bring her here, all of Bon Temps would hear her screaming and I am as good as dead!"

"All of Bon Temps?" Andy looked at him. "You mean…?"

"Yeah, most of them. Everywhere I saw people running around doing…," Jason tried to find the right word, but he seemed not to be able to find one. "Crazy things! I have never seen before and I don't think I want to see it again! The sheriff's office is turned upside down…I saw paper everywhere and people dancing around with loud music in front of it. The shops are being looted, but the owners and the shopkeepers were only laughing and…." His face was twisted. "You know…."

"We are celebrating," Imogene giggled. "He is coming…he will set us free…"

"Who? Who is coming, Imogene?"

Her face was getting red. "He, he, he…," she snickered. "He is coming and there's nothing you can do to stop him…"

She didn't have to repeat her sentence. It was enough for me to figure out whom she was talking about, Callisto's god. Sam was correct. We had to go to Callisto's place and find out what was going on. We had to know whom or what we were dealing with.

We became quiet. Nobody moved. Imogene didn't hold onto my leg anymore. She was sitting on the floor with her eyes fixed on Jason. She watched every move he made like a snake watched her prey.

I didn't know how long we'd been quiet when suddenly, Imogene grabbed my leg again. I wanted to ask her why, since Jason didn't move from his chair, when I saw Sookie and Eric at the door. Was she afraid of Eric?

But when Sookie came to me, everything was clear for me. Obviously, it was also clear for Sam. Imogene screamed and covered her ears, begging to be taken away from there. She couldn't stand the heat, it was killing her, she said.

Sookie. She was afraid of Sookie, as she couldn't stand Jason. Poor Sookie. She was taken aback and completely confused seeing somebody reacting to her like that.

Eric came to Imogene. "She can sense you, Lover," he said. "Whatever she saw inside you frightens her."

"Yeah, she's afraid of Sookie and Jason," I said, looking at her and then at Jason. It had something to do with their fairy connection, it had to be. "Where is Godric?" I asked Eric.

"He's coming." Eric stood. His tall figure looked menacing. He looked at me and smiled. I didn't know why.

"Why is she afraid of me?" asked Jason. "I didn't touch her, honest!"

"I believe you, Jason," said Andy. "There's something not normal about her. I thought she was cured yesterday. I mean, how will we be able to find her sister if she's in this condition?"

"My sister…" Imogene looked around, "My sister…."

I raised her off the floor and asked her to sit down. When our eyes met, I felt a cold shiver down my back. Those eyes were black as if there was no sign of life in them. "We will find your sister, Imogene,"

"Savvy…" she whispered.

A cold touch on my shoulder made me turn around. Godric. There was some stains of blood around his mouth. He had fed. From the look of it, he didn't seem to care that everybody could see it.

I stepped back to let him take over.

"Dead meat," Imogene snorted. Her voice was deep and growling. "As dead as it can be." Then, she laughed.

'Click'.

I thought for a moment Godric had let his fangs out, but I was wrong. Eric had done it. Godric moved his finger and Eric retracted the fangs again.

Godric moved away from Imogene. "What happened?" he looked at me. I told him what had happened as quickly and briefly as I could. He looked at Imogene, moved his jaws and then he looked at Sookie.

"You're in love and your blood makes your feeling stronger. She can't stand that feeling."

Sookie's face was as red as boiled lobster. Now, she got to know Godric's loose mouth.

From the corner of my eyes I saw Eric smiling at me. So that's why he had hardly been able to hold his smile. Sookie must have done something to him tonight. What? Did she kiss him? Or had they…?

"Tara!" Sookie cut off my thought. Her blue eyes widened.

"What?" I pretended to be as innocent as possible, but without result. Those blue eyes were now looking at me angrily.

"Touch her, Sookie," said Godric. "Only then will we know how to fight against the innocence."

"You are not going to send my sister to Callisto's place." It was more an order than a question that came out of Jason's mouth. "I will not allow her."

Godric looked at him. "Sookie?" he asked, without taking his eyes away from Jason.

Oh, for heaven's sake! I rolled my eyes. I was _thrilled_ to know two men were fighting over me, but it was definitely the wrong moment. I took Sookie's hand and dragged her to face Imogene.

"Get her away from me! Get her away from me!" Imogene screamed and hissed. "Please, Tara…get her away from me!" Imogene started to cry. "Don't let her hurt me….please…."

Sookie and I looked at each other. Somehow I felt pity seeing Imogene like this. She reminded me strongly of my mother when she had been sober and feeling sorry for the things she had done to me.

Suddenly Godric was standing behind Imogene, grabbing her head and saying. "Concentrate, Tara. Don't let her fool you. Remember what I told you about your most secret desire..."

Imogene shook her head, but she couldn't move. Godric was too strong for her.

"I am sorry, Imogene," Sookie touched Imogene's hand.

As Sookie laid her hand on Imogene's and their eyes met, Imogene wailed in agony. The sound that came out of her mouth was the sound of a trapped animal, wailing because of pain and anger. It was broken and deep. Sookie's face was pale like a piece of paper. Her eyes were wide open and for a while, there was an expression of horror on her face and then at the same time, both of them pulled away their hands and screamed.

Sookie took some steps backward and almost fell, if Eric hadn't suddenly stood behind her and caught her. Imogene looked around and jumped off the chair once she had realized that Godric was holding her head. She was trembling. Her hands were shaking; her eyes looked at us wildly.

"You'd better sit down, Imogene," I said.

Eric took Sookie's hand and told her the same thing.

After both of them received water to drink (Imogene drank the water in one go), they told their stories. Sookie looked very uncomfortable when she said she had seen Imogene being touched and groped by some men.

"But it was strange," she said. "You seemed not to care. You didn't even seem to realize you were there. In your head, I heard you calling out for your sister and wondering why nobody could hear you.

"I wanted to call you, but before I could do it, suddenly I was taken to a place, which looked like Callisto's kitchen. You were standing at the door, watching your sister dancing with some men. You felt happy, but also worried. You'd never seen your sister being the center of attention, where many men seemed to want to be with her. Your sister was laughing and flirting with them.

"Then, the men, who surrounded her, were getting closer and closer to her, starting to undress her. You screamed and screamed, asking them to stop. But nobody listened to you. Your sister kept on dancing and laughing and the men also continued undressing her. They even took her, she was naked, to the nearby table. Suddenly they stopped. One by one, they moved away from her. Your sister was on the table, giggling.

"You ran to her, but you were stopped by two men; you shouted, called her name, kicked the men, but they didn't react to you. Then, you saw Callisto entering the place. You called her and asked her to stop it. She looked at you and smiled. 'Why, Immy? You want to be a part of us, don't you?' No, you said. Not anymore. You wanted to leave and take your sister with you. Callisto laughed. Suddenly, the men let you go. You fell on the ground. You crawled to the table and wanted to get up, when a hand helped you to stand. You looked up and saw…saw a man with two horns on his head…you screamed and that was it…" Sookie drank the water. "But the feeling I had when I looked at him and the thought that came out of his head….Jesus, I have never felt cold like that in all my life! I mean, I have slept with a vampire and he's cold (Eric smirked as he heard that). But the coldness I felt when I saw him…it was as if the blood had left my body.

"What scared me more, I swear it was as if he saw me standing beside Imogene. When he opened his mouth, I screamed and took my hand off Imogene."

"We really need to go there," said Andy. "In my experience, the best way to solve cases is by getting right into the heart of the matters."

"It's dangerous," said Godric. "You could be killed."

"I'll take my chances," Imogene stood up. "They messed up my head, kidnapped my little sister and did that awful…" she took a deep breath, tried hard to pull herself together. "I won't sit here and do nothing. I'd rather be killed than to do so."

"I could accompany them. I am always curious about how the humans have their orgies," said Eric.

"Right," said Andy, perplexed. "You come with us, Jay?"

"Yeah, sure, why not?" Jason looked at me. "What about you, Tara?" His eyes were narrowing as he nodded at Godric. He seemed not to want me to be alone with Godric, which was silly. I had been with him last night and nothing happened, what could happen now?

"I'll stay," I said, "I think Sookie needs company."

"Sookie comes with me," said Eric, more like a statement than a question. Strangely, Sookie didn't say a word. Huh, they had done it!

Sookie shot me with a nasty look. She had heard what I thought.

"She can protect herself, I know," he said. His blue eyes glinted like a snake's. "Nevertheless, if she's with me, I can protect her better." He turned to me. "You should come with us, Tara. You'd be safe."

I looked at Godric. He didn't say a word; he even tried to avoid my eyes. He must have told Eric to protect me or something in that direction.

"No. I'll stay," I said.

"Tara…"

"I stay, Sookie."

Sookie hugged me. "We will win this fight, Tara," she smiled, frantically. "You will be all right."

I nodded. "Yes, we will."

Godric was standing at the door to my bedroom, folding his arms across his chest when everybody left. His face was tender as always, but his eyes looked thoughtful.

I came to him. "I thought you would leave too."

"You should eat," he said.

"I am not hungry."

"Yes, you are. Your body is screaming for food. What did you do? Did you drink coffee only? How would you fight your enemy, if you didn't eat?" He touched my arm.

"I ate," I said. "This and that."

"But not real food. Eat, Darling. I need you to be strong, not only for the fight, but also for after the fight."

Godric sat by me, watched me eating. I didn't have any appetite at all. However, with those pale grey watching over my moves like an eagle watches his prey, I couldn't do anything else, but to put the bread into my mouth.

"I have to see my mother, Godric." I said, pushing the empty plate to middle. "I don't want her to get away this time. She has done many unspeakable, miserable things to me and I always forgave her. But not this time. This time, she has to know. And I want you to accompany me to go to the hotel where she stayed."

He caressed my face with the back of his hands. I kissed them.

"I'll go," he said.

I stood up. "Let's go."

He took my hand. Touching the bracelet, he said, "You found the Goddess."

"No, not me. Andy did. Sam fixed it."

"Mut, the mother of all gods of the Kushites, has given us her mercy."

"What d'you mean?"

"At the night of uncertainties such tonight, she touched the hearts of four different kinds. Andy, Imogene and you, the humans. Sam the shifter, Eric and I the vampires, and the Stackhouses, who have fairy blood. We are facing the same enemy, and Mut the Mother Goddes has gathered and blessed us by giving us the same will, which is to destroy Callisto."

Honestly, that thought had never come to my mind.

"The Queen had armbands look like this." He said, smiling. "She put them around her upper arms and wore them only when she accepted important guests at her court. I liked watching her dressing for the occasion, because it was amusing to hear her saying she didn't have clothes to wear when she had a chamber full with them.

"The armbands were beautiful. They glittered and sparkled under the sun."

It was obvious he didn't want to go. I sat down again.

He looked at me. "It looks good on you."

"Do you want to have it back?"

"No, you can keep it. I told you, I don't have an emotional attachement to it. I wore it only for ten nights."

Ten nights? Did it mean…?

"Yes, Tara." My face must have revealed my thought. He came to me and kissed me. "I was turned ten days after she had given the bracelet and herself to me."

I stood up again and took his hand. My mother could wait, Callisto could wait. Even my own death could wait. He had to tell me the rest of his story.

He looked at me with the same confused look I had seen yesterday. I pressed his hand strongly as I realized, he wasn't only confused, he was also afraid. My skin crawled as I understood he was about to tell me about his death. _Oh, I am so stupid!_ I sighed. Visiting an old memory is not always joyful, let alone returning to the day you die.

Slowly he rose. "We meet again," he touched the bracelet. I wasn't so sure whom he meant with 'we'. Was it the bracelet or the Queen? He kissed the Goddess figure, "At last."

When our eyes met, I moved closer to him. I cupped his face with my hands and softly kissed his forehead. This was it. If I wanted to say goodbye to him, this was the time. "Thank you, Godric. You open my eyes to many things in such a short time. I will never forget you."

"Nor should you," he smiled. "It will be a big blow to my ego, if you are able to forget me so soon."

I smiled back at him. "If I meet your Queen, I'll tell her you haven't forgetten her."

His smile froze. "You talk nonsense. You're not going to die. You will live long and be prosperous, having as many children as you want."

I smiled. "Yes, I will." I bit my lips so that the tears filling my eyes didn't fall. "You're right. You die and I live."

"That's the Tara I know, whom I become fond of, whom I love." He wiped off something on my cheek. Hh, I cried after all. "For you, my darling, I am dead again." He took my hip and lifted me. Then, within a blink of an eye, I was on my bed.

He sat between the two pillows, leaned his back against the wall, opened his legs wide and gave me a sign to sit between them. He wrapped his arms around me. The coldness of his body spread all over mine; it made me shiver. But I didn't let them go. I held them close to my chest, pressed them and then lay my head on his chest. I would miss this cold un-beating chest, this unable to sweat body.

"Do you ever regret being a vampire?" I asked.

"I never had a choice to begin with."

"Everybody always has a choice. You could've walked into the sun and been done with your life if you had regretted it."

"Would you do the same? If you regret being a human, would you take a gun and shoot yourself?"

"I was born as a human."

"I was made a vampire. I hadn't gone to a vampire and asked to be turned. What could I do, but to go on living? Being a vampire is not like having a job which you can change from day to day. Yes, I could go under the sun and die; but it would be against the basic instinct of being. Every being will do anything it can to survive and that's exactly what I do. I am not a man who lives with regret or yearns for something that I can't get by blaming the others. I learn to try to do my best in any given situation. It's better than to mourn for a broken dream and much better than blame somebody else for the state I am in."

I held his arms and sighed as he played with my hair. When his finger touched my neck and caressed the artery I felt like I wanted to scream. He never bit me there on the neck. He didn't say it, but I believed he didn't want to leave bite marks there. Now, I cared less if everybody saw them. I am his and I want the world to see that I am.

"Don't be sad, my child." He kissed my hair. "And let's not waste our time with regret and wishes. After tonight, we have things to do that require our strength and passion. I am glad that I found you, Tara."

"Yeah, me too, Godric."

xxxxx


	24. I am Dead Again

**Author's Note:**

1. I am very sorry for the late update. I was sick for some time and it's hard to lift my fingers and type even when my head was far away with Godric riding horses in the desert (kidding, the horses part, I mean).

2. According to Joseph Nigg in "_**Dragons and other Mythical Beasts**_", Zrocotta is a mythical being, comes from Ethiopia and India. It has a shape of a wolf or a mix between wolf and dog. Still according to Nigg, Zrocotta can shift its shape to any other animal. Zrocotta is also able to imitate human's voice and lure human before it kills its prey. The Zrocotta has very strong jaws and has eyes from blue jewel. Those, who stare at Zrocotta's eyes will be able to see the future.

I just think it's a nice idea to enhance Zrocotta a little bit more and make them werewolves (I don't think that Before Common Era, people knew about werewolves already). Besides, my story takes place in Africa, so, a little introduction to mythical beings from Africa wouldn't be a bad idea.

3. I try my best to describe how the ancient Egyptians made mummies, if there's any mistake, my apology. I know, a bit wicked, right? But hey, if you were sick for more than 2 weeks, you had to do something! I like reading, so I read. The subject on the other hand...I know, wicked!

4. My greatest gratitude to Northwoman who read and edited the chapter. Words can't describe how much I appreciate what you have done for me.

5. I dedicate this chapter to Ari, my long gone but still loyal source of inspiration. I love you, still.

* * *

Chapter twenty-four

**I am Dead Again**

Amani rolled herself in front of the Queen. Her face touched the floor and her hands were at the side of her face. She didn't move or make a noise, waited obediently for the Queen to say something. The hourglass that had been turned was now almost empty again, and yet, the Queen didn't say a word.

Slowly, Godric felt pity for her. It wasn't her mistake. He was the one who had taken her to the bathroom. Yes, she had kissed him, but she had done it under the spell's influence. Secretly, he had thanked her for doing it, otherwise, he would always have wondered whether the Queen loved him or not.

"I bring her here to tell you the story she heard outside the palace wall," finally Godric decided to break the silence. "What happened in the bathroom…," the Queen lifted her hand to stop him, but he ignored her, "…was my teacher's and my way to cure her."

Those brown eyes blazed with anger. Perhaps it was because he had ignored her order or perhaps it was because of her jealousy again. Godric didn't care. "I beg you to forgive her."

"Rise!" said the Queen to Amani.

Amani rose herself and sat down. "Thank you, Your Majesty."

"Thank your master for defending you," the Queen said.

Amani looked at Godric; her big brown eyes opened widely. Godric swore there were tears in her eyes, but he didn't know why. Amani bowed to him. "Thank you, Master."

Godric nodded.

"Now tell me your tidings."

"Following Your Majesty's wish to find more information about the new religion, I went to some places, where the rituals were held. I am afraid the news was correct, Your Majesty. The women and men, who were taking part in the ritual, were drinking and dancing like raving beasts. They sang and called out a name, which was foreign to my ear. Master Agapetos told me that it was one of the names of their God.

"Then, a woman and a man appeared. The woman was the most beautiful woman I've ever seen. She is slender and tall. Her black hair is wavy and shiny like silk. Her skin is like ivory and looks soft under the light of the torches. Her eyes are dark, almost black and her lips are red and full. I could see the men and women moving closer to her as if they wanted to touch her. I myself was tempted to come closer only so that I could see her better.

"The man, who was standing beside her, was young. He is handsome and has a warm aura, like an old friend, whom had been lost and now found. He has beautiful body, strong and muscled. The women came to him and started touching him. He didn't seem to mind. He smiled and laughed and soon, he danced with some women.

"The woman suddenly looked at me. I swore, my blood ran cold as our eyes met. Her eyes were cold, even when she smiled. And I saw a glint of red slit in her eyes, a slit like only snakes can have. She came to me and gave me a drink. She said it's a drink made of nectar from special leaves and fruit that are only offered to her God. She gave it to me because she could see that I was somebody special. Somebody special like me shouldn't be so sad.

"I asked why she thought that I was sad. She said, 'I know, my dear. Forget your man, if he can't love you the way you love him, then it's his loss and not yours. There are other worlds, other things to do than to wait for a love of man who never gives you any thought. Come, my dear. Dance, dance with me, dance with us, dance until the red morning comes.'

"Her already dark eyes turned to black as she said it. I drank the nectar and continued watching her and the others dancing. After a while, everything looked blurred to me. Everybody talked in double sounds. One was followed by the other. Their faces were stretched to the top, the bottom or the sides. Then I heard the sound of horse's hooves coming near me. However, as it got nearer, I realized, it wasn't a horse, but a goat. At least, it smelt like one. I turned around and I didn't see anything anymore.

"The next morning, I found myself on my bed. My friend Merita was with me. I didn't remember anything and was terrified to think what I might have done."

Godric remembered Amani had been drunk and trying to kiss him. She and her friend had also said unheard words about the Queen. He looked at the Queen. She looked thoughtful. Her anger seemed to have gone. He'd better keep that knowledge to himself.

"What did you do afterward?" asked the Queen. "You hadn't sent me any report since last month."

"I beg you to forgive me, Your Majesty. I had forgotten most of my days and when I remembered, I wasn't sure if it was real or a dream. My grandmother said that I wasn't myself and saw only a black cloud around me. She warned me to be careful and to avoid taking presents from strangers or people whom I know not so well."

"Your grandmother is wise indeed," said the Queen. "When will the Seer grace my palace with her presence?"

"She is ill, Your Majesty. She's also too old to leave her place."

"Then I'll come to her," said Godric. "I want to hear advice from a wise woman on how to solve problems that bother your sleep, My Queen."

"Not every man is willing to meet the Seer, my love." The Queen looked at him. The owner of those thoughtful eyes sighed. "Most of them are afraid to hear what the Seer has to say."

"I am not every man and I am not afraid to hear words which are spoken by any man or woman."

The Queen smiled. "No, you are not. Go, my love. Let's pray that you'll return with better news."

Xxxxx

The Greek grabbed Godric's hand as he said his farewell. "Are you sure about this, Young Keltoi?" he asked. "There are things in life that are better unknown. Our future is one of them."

"It's not about my future, Teacher. It's about Amani's lost days."

"The work of the Seer is unpredictable, my boy. She will see what she is meant to see. I am afraid for you."

"A druid has foreseen my future, Teacher," he smiled. "He said I'd have a very long life, until the day when the sky is filled with iron birds. You don't have to worry about my safety."

The Greek smiled. "Your spirit, young Godfrey, never ceases to amaze me." He let his hand go. "Return as fast as you can. We have a lot of works to do."

Godric nodded. "Until the day, Teacher!" He kicked the horse's back and screamed whilst he rode out of the palace. Amani followed him and soon both of them rode side by side along the main street of Meröe city.

The road to the house of the Seer was long and took many turns. Godric had never been to the villages outside the main area of the city and it surprised him to see how neat and well they built the houses. The positions of the houses were adjusted to the roads, which were big enough so that wagons or chariots could pass the houses easily. Unlike the roads in Rome city, which were made from stones, the road here was made from hardened sand. Each house had a yard, upon which a garden or a small kiosk was built. The bigger the houses were, the larger the yards would be.

As their horses left the last row of the houses, Godric's jaw dropped. Out there on the desert, tall, big, pointed buildings were standing next to each other. Their walls, which were made from red bricks, glimmered under the sun, like giants' guardians quietly watching over the land. He counted them and stopped it after he reached twice of his fingers.

"What are those?" he asked. He turned his head around in awe when he realized how high those buildings were. They didn't even reach the height of their gates!

"Tombs," said Amani. "They are the places for the kings and queens of Meröe when they die."

"You don't burn the dead ones?"

"No. We give them a bath and make their body pure so that they are ready for the next journey. For us, Master Godric, death is a door to the next world. This time, we will stay there for eternity. It's important to prepare the dead as well as possible, because they will continue living the way they used to live here."

"How do you do it? Do you bury the dead one inside of the building?"

"No, Master Godric. We preserve the body."

Godric stopped his horse. "You can't preserve the dead. I have seen many warriors killed and their flesh got rotten in a question of days!"

"Your warriors were not Kushites or Egyptians, Master Godric. Had they been, their flesh wouldn't have rotted."

Godric pulled the rope gently; his horse started moving and soon they were side by side again. "Tell me, how do you do it?"

"The Arabs call it _mumiyah,_" there was a smile on her face. "Because they thought, we preserve the body by using wax or coal. But no, Master Godric. The life after dead is more sacred and more important than the life now that won't allow us the living to make it less meaningful by putting wax or coal over the body.

"When ka, the life-force that dwells in our body leaves us, our body will be like a shell, breathless and motionless. Ka waits for us on the other side of the door, to enter our body again. Until then, the body has to be kept the same.

"The day somebody dies, their family will call a priest and take the body to the _wabet, _the place where the priest embalms the body. He will prepare the body by washing and purifying it. Everything inside the body will be removed, except the heart, which is the center of our intelligence and emotion. If we remove the heart, the body will roam in the after life coldly and aimlessly." She looked at Godric. "My grandmother always says, 'don't lose your heart, my child. Sad indeed your life is, if you fill it without the warmth that comes from your heart.'"

Godric smiled. He had a heart; and his heart was filled with his love for the Queen and the Greek's teaching. He would never walk coldly and aimlessly.

Amani smiled back and with a blush, she looked at the sandy road in front of them. "After all organs are removed, the body is cleaned with palm wine and soaked with a kind of salt that is called 'natron'. It is said that the salt will dry up the body and preserve it."

"What do you do with the organs that are removed?"

"They are treated the same, they are washed and put in natron too. In the end, they are put in a canopy jar. After a month passes, the body will be dry. The priest will move the body to the _Per Nefer, _the house of beauty and continues the ceremony there. He will rub perfume oil on the body to make the skin soft and then filled the body with sawdust, rags and finely cut straw. Only then, the priest uses the wax to close the cut. Since the body will lose the hair and the eyes, the priest replaces them with other hair and onions."

"Onions?" Godric's eyes got wider.

"Onion is a good herb to prevent things from decaying, Master Godric. Hasn't Master Agapetos taught you?"

No, but still, he didn't like hearing that his eyes might be replaced with onions one day. "What happens afterwards?"

"The body will be wrapped in strands of linen and covered in a shroud. The priest will wrap the body separately and carefully put an amulet or painted prayers on the linen, and when he finishes, he will wrap the body with one strand of linen.

"After that, we will put the body in the coffin and paint the coffin. We also put the face of the dead on the coffin and paint the wall of the tombs with a story about the dead."

"Tell me, Amani, how do you know so much about burying the dead?"

Her head bowed a little as she said, "We did it once, Master Godric, when the Queen's husband died many years ago."

"She had a husband?"

"Yes, she did."

"Does she have sons?"

Amani bit her lips.

"Amani?"

"No, Master." Her voice was pressed as if she had been afraid that somebody might hear her. "Many say she can't. Some princes from noble houses around ours wanted to ask her to be their wives, for Meröe is a strong land, but they are afraid they will have no sons to continue their line."

Godric looked back. He couldn't see the main city anymore. "She talked about giving me a son," he said.

"Did she?" Amani looked at him, surprised.

"Yes and we will have sons, Amani, as many as she wishes! You will see."

"We have to ride faster, Master Godric. If Her Majesty talked to you about giving you a son, we have to return to the main city as soon as we can."

"Why?"

But Amani had ridden her horse like a mad woman, leaving him with a cloud of sand. When he finally was able to ride beside her again, he saw her tense.

"We are entering the realm of Zrocotta," she whispered. "Unfortunately, my grandmother lives in the village behind this realm."

Godric looked at the rocky hill in front of them. The red light of the sun that touched its summits somehow made them look like the rocks had been covered with blood. He drew his sword. "Who is Zrocotta?"

"Zrocotta is either a man or a beast. It's a wolf that has voice of a man," said Amani. "People say, in the days they walk among us as human and when the moon appears they will change again into wolves. We must not listen to their voices; otherwise they will lure us to their nests and then kill us or worse, bite us and make us into one of them. Some Zrocottas are so strong and powerful that they don't need the moon to change into wolves."

"Ride close to me, Amani. And let's ride as fast as we can. We have to pass this hill before the dark. Powerful or not, they are wolves. Wolves are more dangerous in the night than in the day."

Dust rose high to the sky as both of them rode their horses as if an unseen hand had whipped them from behind. Godric held the rope with his left hand and the sword with his right hand. His eyes focused to the road in front of him and ignored the sound of the wind which carried the echo of the horse step.

The shadow of the black rocks which stood on each side of the path grew longer as the sun was slowly going down in the west. And from the holes between the rocks, figures emerged. Voices filled the path like locos covered the wheat field. The longer the shadow was, the clearer the voices were. It wasn't normal voices, it was wolves' howling. The figures were now jumping down from the side and soon they blocked the road.

The horses neighed and raised their feet.

Godric had to pull the rope strongly to prevent himself from falling. After a while, he managed to calm the horse down. His heart raced faster and faster, competing with the horse's breathing. Amani had to pass the rock, he decided. No matter what will happen to him, Amani had to pass the path unscathed. She had to reach the house of the Seer. He turned around to see Amani. Her face was pale and her lips trembled. "Stay close, Amani and ride with fire on your heels when I tell you."

Amani nodded.

Godric raised his sword. The tips of his sword glimmer under the red sun and the yellow eye of Enlil's bracelet glittered like cat's eye. "My name is Godric of Conovii people," he declared himself loudly. His voice echoed. "Let me pass your path and I promise to give you no harm."

One of the figures walked forward. To Godric's surprise, he looked just like any other man. He couldn't see any sign of beast on him. His body was rather small, but built; his black curly hair was long to his shoulder; his face was clean, except his eyes. His brown eyes didn't have black color in the middle, but yellow.

"Why should I let you go, Godric of Conovii people?" he sneered. "Don't you know that this is the realm of no return? No man has come to this path in this time of hour and left unscathed."

"I come here under the order of the Queen of Meröe to see the Seer," he said. His hand grabbed the sword's hilt tighter. "There is evil spreading on this land, which will reach your realm if it's not stopped on time."

There were murmurings in the path.

"I have no reason to tell you lies," Godric continued. "This evil had once destroyed Thebe, killed the King and ruined the land. If you come to hinder my journey, I have no other choice but to raise my sword against you and in return, the Queen's army will come here to destroy your realm if she ever finds out about it. And don't fool yourself, she will find out."

The murmurings were getting louder. They spoke in Kushite. He's too young to be the Queen's messenger, one said. He lies, the other said. He speaks Roman, he could be a Roman. Let hear what the Pack Master say. Yes, let hear what the Pack Master say.

"I am not a Roman," Godric said in Kushite. "I come from a far away land and was brought by a Roman to be given to the Queen. I am the Queen's slave," he raised his other hand to show them the Queen's bracelet. The Goddess figure was now glimmering. "I can see that you live under Her Majesty's mercy as I live under hers. If you love your Queen as I love her, you will let us pass."

"I heard about the Queen's harlot who can speak in different languages," said the man who stood in front of him. "I never expected him to be this young," with a smile on his face. "You must have been a very good harlot to earn her trust for such an important matter."

"I am good enough."

That man laughed, followed by the other men. "And very naïve too," the laughter was louder. Godric felt he had missed something; when he turned around to ask Amani, he saw that woman's face red like the morning sun.

"You can go, Boy." That man stepped aside. "And I'll help you spread the words about the Queen's burden if you give something in return."

"Name it."

"Whisper some good words about the Zrocottas to Her Majesty's ears and tell her that we, the Zrocottas, are her people. We want to be accepted as ones. We are proud people, as you're proud to be yours. We don't want to live under her mercy; we want to live among the people and be accepted as ones."

"I can tell her your wishes, but I can't promise you that she will listen."

The grin was back again on his face. "I am sure you will. Now go, Boy! And pray that we will meet again one day!"

"Tell me your name and we're equal."

"Zeeb."

Godric sheathed his sword. "Until the day, Zeeb!"

The men stepped aside when he and Amani rid the horses passing through them. And as the Zrocottas were far behind them, Godric realized how he had been lucky and protected by Aeron! Without Aeron's protection, things could've gone wrong back there. He made a promise to offer Her the best prey he could catch as soon as he returned to the main city. Yes, that was the least he could do.

Xxxxx

It was pitch dark when they arrived at the Seer's village. Almost running, Amani took his hand and led him to a small house, which was standing alone, away from the other houses. People of the village, who came out to see who was foolish enough to cross the realm of Zrocotta after the dark, looked at him with curiosity. It wasn't his white skin that became the object of their curiosity, but more the Enlil's and the Queen's bracelets which were glimmering under the torches.

"Her Majesty's messenger," one of them asked. "What tidings does he bring this late of hour?"

Amani didn't give him a chance to answer the question; and from the look on her face, it seemed that she didn't want him to answer any question.

"Grandmother," Amani opened the door and called out. "It's me, Amani."

"Amani, come in, dear."

The house was small, but tidy. Inside there was a table, a chair and many dolls made of straw and clays. The dolls were either standing on the floor or hanging from the ceiling. On the walls, a sweet oil lamp was burning.

"I've been waiting for you, Old One."

Godric looked at the small body, which was lying on the bed. She was covered by a blanket and only showed her wrinkling face.

"Grandmother," Amani came near her. "How are you?"

She touched Amani's face. Her hand had lines, as many as the sand in the desert. "I am glad you come before it's all over, my dear. Help me to sit, dear. I want to see him."

Amani helped her to sit down and gave Godric a sign to come nearer. He was about to walk, when the old woman said, "Enough, Old One."

Old One? Only a few hours ago, he had been called young and naïve. Now an old woman called him 'old one'. It didn't make any sense at all to him.

"Yes, I know what had brought you here, Old One, but you will not find answers for your woman. Not here. The answer lies inside the palace from somebody who's close to you. You and he will be tied until the day when the tie is broken, not by hate, but by love. Your time in this land is not long, your heart will grow weary and you will leave. You will see many lands in many different times. You will soon be parted with her. By the time you meet her again, is the time that your bond is broken.

"And yes, Amani, he will love you, not you, but a part of you. The one you are carrying now will carry our line and from our line, shall love that breaks the bond rise."

"Grandmother…" suddenly Amani sobbed.

"Don't need to be ashamed, Amani. Everybody makes mistake. Love her the way you love me, she will love you until the end of your life. Now, have some rest, child. Both of you need it."

"What was that all about?" Godric was completely confused, as Amani asked him to follow her out of the house. "She's talking in riddles. I don't understand any word of it."

"The answer isn't here, Master Godric," she said. "It's in the palace. I believe she meant Master Agapetos. There's nobody else who's close to you like Master Agapetos."

She also said that his heart would grow weary and he would leave the land; and that he would soon be parted with _her. _No, he didn't believe her. He would never leave this land; he would never let himself be parted with the Queen. He'd prefer to die here and be buried somewhere in the sand beside or inside one of the tombs.

"Let's have some rest, Master Godric. We will have to ride early tomorrow. As much as I trust the Zrocottas to keep their words, I would feel much better if we are as far as possible from their realm."

Xxxxx

The sky wasn't yet fully covered by the red color of morning when they left the village of the Seer. Under the dimmed light, Godric could see the small houses made of mixed straw and mud. His thoughts ran to the village of his Norsemen brothers who used more or less the same material to build their houses. Different from the Seer's village, which was surrounded by desert and rocky hill, his Norsemen brothers' village was surrounded by green woods and faced the sea. The sound of sea-gulls crying in the open sea and the waves that hit the rock filled his ears. How long ago had he heard those sounds, he didn't know. He didn't even know what month it was now. There was no tree on this land that he recognized to tell the month.

"What is it, Master Godric?" asked Amani. "You look troubled."

"How do you count the nights, Amani? What month is it?"

"It's the third of _Akhet, _the third month of the year, Master Godric," then she said the name, which sounded like '_Ḥwt-ḥwr' _to him. "Its name is Athyr," Amani said the name in common language.

"When is the season of reeds?"

"Reeds grow the whole year, Master Godric. We don't have a special season for that, but we harvest them mostly in the second of _Shemu_, in the month of _Payni_, six months from now."

"Six months…" Godric looked at the sky. "In six months, I'll be eighteen years old," he smiled. "I hope I'll be a father by then. Some of my friends in the village already had children of their own when they were eighteen."

"Let's pray that you will, Master Godric."

The Queen's face flashed in front of his face. His body was shaken by thought that he would have children with her. If he did, what would they look like? Would they have her dark skin, her curly hair and brown eyes or would they have his white skin, grey eyes and dark brown hair? Or would they have both of their colors and mix them into one? Would one of them have his mother's red hair? He would love his children to have his mother's red hair! He would even give her name if it was his daughter whose hair was red, or call him 'Red' if it was his son whose hair was red. Nevertheless, he would love them all the same!

"Come, Master Godric! We'd better be in hurry!" a loud call interrupted his thought. Amani was already ahead of him. "Time isn't on our side!"

They rode through the desert without stopping. The rocky hill of the Zrocotta realm looked less menacing than yesterday, but Godric felt his skin crawl nevertheless. There was a kind of smell that came from between the rocks that reminded him of his own cage when he had been caught by the Romans and put together with other slaves and animals. His back suddenly rang with pain, but he forced himself to ignore it. Amani was right, time wasn't on their side. He had to be able to focus on the more important matters than memories of the other day, the other life.

By the time they stopped to give the horses a rest and food, they had passed the rows of tombs. Amani had been quiet the whole journey. Godric couldn't tell what was bothering her, but something was telling him, it had something to do with what the Seer had said. He wanted to give her one or two consoling words, but he knew, sometimes the best consoling words were the ones which weren't spoken.

The torches had been lit as they entered the palace. Two slaves came to them and took the horses. Godric told Amani to look for the Greek, whilst he went straight to the Queen's chamber.

She turned her beautiful head around when she heard his steps or perhaps it was the strong smell that came from his body. He had been riding for two days and had no time to clean up himself. However, she smiled. She stood up and came to him. "You walk in such a hurry, Godric," she said. "Is the news from the Seer that bad?"

"No," he said. "She spoke in riddles." He told her what the Seer had said to him and Amani. "I told Amani to fetch Teacher. The sooner you hear what Teacher has to say, the better it will be."

The Queen touched his face. "She speaks in riddles indeed. But you need some rest, Godric and a bath. We can think best when our body and mind are clean."

After having a bath and eating, Godric returned to the Queen's chamber to find she wasn't alone. That pale man was already there, whispering things in her ears, as if he hadn't wanted anybody to hear what he was saying. His heart raced; his blood boiled. His hand touched the hilt of his sword, trembled. If that pale man ever laid his hand on her body, he wouldn't hesitate to draw his sword and challenge him, right there, right then.

That pale man turned to him. His face was calm, almost expressionless. He nodded and without any words, he left the chamber. Godric followed him with his eyes.

He turned to the Queen. "What did he want?" he asked and turned his head around to catch his glimpse again, but he had been gone. That pale man moved fast, too fast for his likings.

"To warn me," she took his hands. "It seems Meröe city doesn't only attract Rome, but also other people, other creatures. I am more and more certain to send you away from this city, my love. I am afraid if I wait too long, it will be too late."

"I'd rather die rather than to be separated from you," he said.

"Godric…"

"You are facing problems and I am trying to help you," he could feel his chest getting hotter. "I don't want to hear any words about us being separated ever again."

"It's for your own good."

"My life is my own and I give it to whoever I like."

Both of them stared at each other. The room became quiet. There was desperation in the air that slowly filled their lungs. Godric wanted to take her in his arms, bury her with his kisses and touches so she could get rid of her mad notion. He wanted her to forget the burdens that she was having and cry in his arms because of feeling happy and satisfied. He would've done it, he swore, if he hadn't seen how hard and determined her eyes were.

"There are very few decisions in my life that I have regretted making and I am afraid, this will be one of them," she said. "I should've let you go. However, what is done is done; we have to make the best of it. Come, Godric, we talk to your teacher and hear what he has to say."

The Greek listened to him with his head bowed. The lines on his old face looked deeper and deeper the longer he listened to him. The Greek wasn't a man who let himself be influenced by his feelings, but at that very moment, Godric swore, the Greek looked paler and more troubled than Amani had been in front of the Zrocottas.

"Oh what a fate I have," he said. "The burden of this land is on my shoulder. What can a book reader and a star gazer like me do for a land that is great and strong like Meröe?"

"You are a good man, Master Agapetos," said the Queen, "and a good teacher."

The Greek raised his face.

"The result of his teaching is what makes a teacher bad and good," said the Queen. "He could have the most complete knowledge on earth, but if he couldn't share his knowledge in a way that his pupils understand or find solution for the trouble they are having then he is a worthless teacher."

The Greek bowed. "Your words are like water on the long journey in the desert, Your Majesty."

"I won't expect you to do less than what you have been doing, Master Agapetos. In the meantime, I will consult the High Priests for this problem."

It was a sign for everybody in the room to leave. She didn't even stop him when Godric walked out. Her figure was gleaming in the middle of the room like stars in the dark night sky as he was getting farther and farther away.

"Some thoughts have troubled me, young Godfrey," said the Greek when they were in his room. "I have read many old parchments and papyrus about the worship of Dionysus. I came to the conclusion, that to stop this we have to find the priest. It won't be easy, because I believe she will be protected by her followers or even the guardian of Dionysus."

"Certainly the Queen's soldier will be able to defeat him, the guardian of Dionysus!" said Godric.

"If he was a human like the rest of us; yes, I concur, we will be able to defeat him. But the guardian of Dionysus is not a human, he is an old evil, created and worshiped by our greediness, anger and lust. To kill him, you have to find the priest and kill her. She's the mother and the nurse of the beast, without her, the beast will not survive."

"I will find the beast, Teacher."

"Yes, but not tonight. You are tired from long journey. Have some sleep, Godfrey. Tomorrow you and Amani can ask the people on the street and I will find the answer among the stars."

xxxxx

A strange, strong smell reached his nose. It was a smell of sand and sweat. Godric grabbed the dagger that he put under the pillow. Somebody was in his room. He couldn't hear his steps, but this strong smell wasn't his and he wouldn't let whomever it was, to get away with it. The man had entered his room in the middle of the night without his permission; he'd better had a real good explanation to give.

Godric leapt off his bed as the smell was getting closer. Instinctively, his hand reached out to the source of the smell, grabbed it and pushed it to the wall. A horror came to his mind as he saw what he had in his hand. It was a cat. Cats were Bastet's beloved animal, Bastet – Goddess of feline! If a Kushite saw him man-handling a cat, his head would soon be rolling on the floor.

He was about to let the cat go when right in front of his eyes, it slowly changed into a man. Godric moved backward. He pointed his dagger at him. "Who…what are you?"

That man sniffed. "Zeeb sent me here. He's waiting for you outside the wall."

Zeeb, the leader of the Zrocotta.

"I am Ari," he said. "Make haste, Godric. Zeeb can't wait forever."

Godric had heard a story about Morganna, the Goddess of war, who was believed to be able to change her shape into raven; but he had never seen her. Now, he had just witnessed a man, changed himself into a cat. Was he a god, the son of Morganna, perhaps?

"I am a man, Godric," said Ari as if he had known what he was thinking. "I am a shape shifter, like some of the Zrocottas. Come, Godric. We don't have much time," by saying that, he changed his shape back into a cat again and meowed at him.

Godric grabbed his sword on his way out. Some guards walked around under the torches which burnt brightly. They asked him where he was going at the time like this. He said he wanted to walk around the wall. He needed to clear his head.

Ari, the shape-shifter, took him to the west corner of the outer wall. Zeeb, like he had said, was waiting for them.

"I came here the next morning," said Zeeb. "I want to see with my own eyes the news that you had brought to me." His jaw moved. "I don't like what I smell. People of Meröe may not like the Romans with their obsession of having a bath, but they do bathe occasionally. And yet, as soon as I entered the main city, I breathed drunkenness, body odor, fear, anger and lust in the air. Something unnatural has conquered the city, Godric. It's only a matter of time before this city crumbles in the hand of chaos."

"You speak such frightening words, Zeeb. How can you tell all of those only by smelling the air?"

Zeeb moved closer. His eyes were yellowish and at the corners of his mouth, two big pointed teeth came out. He looked more and more like a wolf as he gnarled. "I am a Zrocotta, my life depends on my sense." (Godric grabbed the hilt of his sword instinctively). "I also can smell something else on your body, Boy. You bear something from the Undead. I would get rid of it, if I were you. The Undead doesn't give things away without asking for payment."

"I am not afraid of the Dead or the Undead."

Zeeb sniffed. "You should." He moved away. "There is nothing more devastating than living forever and watching everything and everybody that we love crumble and die. However, I don't come to tell you that. I come to take you to the party."

"What party?"

"The party I believe you will like." His yellow pointed teeth flashed as he snarled. "I must warn you, it won't look pretty. Whatever you do, stay close to me or Ari."

The main city looked different in the night. The torches, which were burning everywhere, made the houses looked doomed and gloomed. Some parts of the house were black and some spots were red, as if somebody had splashed blood on it. The streets were dead; not a single sound was heard, except the sound of some birds and dogs.

Where were the guards?

Slowly but surely, Godric heard noises; a mix of laughter and loud conversation. It must have been the party that Zeeb had mentioned.

Suddenly, two men appeared in front of them. Godric drew his sword. Zeeb asked him to low it. They were his men, he said. Then, they stood close to each other, whispering. Then, Zeeb turned to him.

"I will need your help," he said. "If I help you find the priest and those, who help him, will you help me find a place to hide during the full moon for my men and me?"

"What happened?"

"Some of my men tried to leave the town, but they couldn't. They were stopped by a beast they had never seen before, a beast which takes form of a man and a goat. Three against one, and the beast seemed not to have any problems taking down some of my best men."

"You can't defeat the beast," murmured Godric. "My teacher told me, we have to find the priest to kill the beast."

"Then, we should! We'll watch the party and follow the beast."

"How? I don't even know how the beast looks like."

"Godric, we are Zrocottas. We are blessed to have the finest noses on this land. My men met him, they will recognize him when they meet him again, doesn't matter what shape he is in. And Ari, he can change his skin to any fashion. If all my men fail, he will follow him like a louse on our fur! Just promise me that if anything goes wrong, you will protect my men."

"I can't promise you anything, but to give my Queen good words about you."

"Fair enough," Zeeb said. His eyes flashed. "God save us all, Godric."

Godric heard about some tribes, who worshipped only one god. It seemed Zeeb was a member of one of those tribes. "I hope your God is not too busy taking care of other things tonight and listening to your prayer."

His yellowish teeth were shown as he grinned. "No, Godric. My God is all mighty and He listens to every whisper that ever came from our mouths. Bad or good." He patted Godric's shoulder. "And He surely has a strange sense of humour to make us meet in such unthinkable time."

Godric grabbed his hands. "Why are you helping me, Zeeb?"

Zeeb looked at his hands. "You are wearing one of the Older Ones token. You have to be somebody important or special. Or you are just damn lucky."

Older Ones…he had been called Old One by the Seer. Now he met somebody who seemed to know about them. He looked at his hand. Enlil's bracelet glittered under the torch light. Enlil. It had something to do with him. Who was he?

Before he could answer, somebody blew out the torch. Now they were in the darkness. A hand dragged him down and he heard somebody hushing. Godric held his sword tightly. From right and left he heard noises….noises of something breaking…then gnarling and snarling filled his ears. Something smelt familiar reached his nose. The memory of staying in cages with the captured animals overtook him. Whoever or whatever that surrounded him weren't human.

"Don't make a noise," he heard Ari whisper. "Follow us and crawl."

"I can't see you."

"Follow the stinking smell of the dogs and you'll find us."

He heard something very close snarling.

"You do smell like a dog, Zeeb," said Ari.

Godric took a deep breath, sheathed his sword and started crawling. The Zrocottas could change into wolves, Amani told him. Perhaps they were in their wolves shape now. He had no other choice, but to do what Ari said. His fate was entirely in the hand of Aeron. And by Aeron, if one of them bit him, he would take his own life if he had to. He preferred to die than to live as half man half wolf.

He didn't know how long he crawled, when he heard Ari telling him to stop. The sound of voices, laughter and music made him raise his head and see that he was behind stones. Not far from the stones were a group of people, surrounding a fire. He turned around to find Zeeb and leapt to his feet when he saw that it wasn't Zeeb or any man who was with him, but wolves. He wanted to take out his sword, when a hand pulled him down. It was Ari.

"They…they…"

"They were Zeeb and his men," said Ari. "They are Zrocottas, Godric. They could change into wolves, surely you knew that."

"Yes…but…they…."

"Don't worry, Godric. They might be Zrocottas, but they are good decent men, who keep their words…most of the time." There was a grin on his face. Godric wasn't sure if he should take Ari's words seriously or not.

The sound from the party drew his attention away from the Zrocottas. He lifted his head to see what was happening. The people around the fire danced and sang. Some were in threes, some were in pairs. The ones in pairs soon started kissing each other and hit the next empty ground they could find. Some of them who were in threesomes did the same too. Godric turned his head away so that he couldn't see. He had never seen such a scene before. He had made love with the Queen countless times, but never had he done it in front of the chamber maids or together with them. For him, making love with the Queen was something secret, something special that he didn't want to share with anybody else. He didn't care if the guards or the chamber maid knew, but he didn't want them to watch.

And here, those people did it among and with each other shamelessly. What had become of them?

A soft tap on his shoulder made him turn around.

"Pay attention to the boy who is dancing in the middle," Ari whispered. "Zeeb said there's something odd about him."

Godric looked at the boy whom Ari had pointed. He was dancing with three women. Different from the others, he didn't touch the women or drag any of them to the ground like other men. That boy had a warm face that made his eyes look sympathetic. It was as if he had been a little child that needed to be protected. Like a little brother he never had. Godric sighed. It was strange to have such a strong feeling towards somebody he had just seen, but he really wanted to know him. He had always wanted a little brother or sister; somebody whom he could protect and teach, somebody whom he could be strong and perhaps even admired by.

Godric wanted to get up and leave the Zrocottas, but a hand caught his. He drew his sword and was about to thrust it when he heard a familiar voice, "Godric! It's me, Ari! Look at me!"

Godric shook his head and squeezed his eyes tight. When he opened them, he saw he was pressing Ari's chest with his knee and his sword was raised, aimed to his throat. The Zrocottas had surrounded him like wolves surrounding their prey. Their ears flapped backward and they showed their teeth menacingly. He moved away, shocked. What had he done?

"You were under a spell, Godric," said Ari. "Now listen to me, whatever you hear or think, remember that they are not real. The priest is trying to go inside our heads and filling them with dreams and wishes."

"My apology, Ari."

Ari grinned, "Accepted."

Suddenly one of the Zrocottas stood straight. He sniffed in the air and ran.

"He's here," Ari said. "Boaz recognizes the smell. Can you run, Godric?"

Run? Of course he could run!

Before long, Godric was left behind. Ari changed himself into a lion and ran together with the pack. Godric tried the best he could to keep up the pace with them, but they were fast runners by nature. He cursed himself for letting the comfort of living at the palace spoil him and for becoming lazy with his exercise. He made a promise to himself after tonight; he would lessen his learning in reading and started training himself in combat.

He didn't know how long or how far he had run, but when he stopped, he saw the Zrocottas and the lion, who was Ari, circling a man, or what he thought to be a man for he had a body of a man and a limb of a goat. On his head were two horns. Coming out from his behind was a long tail, but not like any tail he had ever seen, this tail was as big as his fist, and at the end of the tail was shaped like a serpent's tongue. Beside that beast was a woman, very young, almost child-like. Lying on his feet, blood ran through her white skirt. He didn't know whether the woman had already died or lived still, but he wished that she was dead. He couldn't imagine the horror that woman would feel if she knew her body had been ravished by a beast.

The Zrocottas moved around the beast. They howled at him, at the waning moon which was hanging low on the East. The beast balled his fists and looked at them one by one. The horns on his head were slowly growing, longer and bigger and when they stopped growing, they took shapes of a Meröe goat's horn, which people called ibex. The horns were long, half circles and pointed. Their edges were rippled. Different from any ibex he had ever seen, those horns were red and the ripples looked like teeth of a crocodile.

One of the Zrocottas howled loudly and long, and soon the Zrocottas jumped on the beast. Godric was about to charge, when the lion turned his head to him and growled. He wished that Ari would return to his human form so that he could understand what he was telling him. He could only guess that Ari didn't want him to charge the beast.

Godric stood and watched how the beast smashed and kicked the Zrocottas one by one. The next thing he knew, the eyes of the beast found him. His blood ran cold. Those eyes were red and had a shape of a snake.

"Godric!"

He heard somebody calling his name. But it was too late. The beast ran to him and he didn't have any choice but to raise his sword and charge him. He heard the beast let out a wail when his sword landed on his face. Black blood dropped from his sword. And as he charged for the second time, at that very moment, the beast lifted his hoof and he was thrown to the ground with such a pain on his chest. He tried to get up and recklessly searched for his sword. But he couldn't move. He heard his own breaths, short and loud. His eyes were hot and his throat was sore. He opened his mouth, but he couldn't get any air inside.

He heard the sound of the hooves coming near, but then everything was quiet. He didn't hear the sound of the Zrocottas or the lion. He couldn't even hear the wind or his own breaths. Everything was cold now, cold and blurred. He could only see black sky, hanging right above him, with no sign of stars or the bright one. It was cold now, very cold. He wished the Queen were here. She would make him feel warm with her touch or her smile. The Queen…his Queen…

Then he heard a voice, speaking in his mother language. "Drink, Godric."

The Queen…he wanted to be with the Queen now….she would make this coldness disappear.

"Drink, Godric," that voice told him again. "If you want to see her again, you have to drink."

Her….the Queen….yes, he wanted to see her again. He wanted to be with her. He'd drink.

"Yes, drink, Godric and you will see her again."

xxxxx

Her swollen eyes were the first things that Godric saw when he opened his eyes. Amani. She was sitting on the floor with her head on his bed. When he looked around, he saw Zeeb standing beside the door and some paces away from him was the Queen. Her face was pale and her eyes were teary, but it was clear to him that she tried to hold the tears from falling. The Greek was sitting on a chair beside the window.

"My Queen…" he smiled and reached out for her. Amani got up and moved backward.

The Queen walked towards him. "My most troubling slave," she said, sitting beside him. "Not a day goes by that you don't give burden to my thought."

"My apology. I didn't mean to worry you. What happened?"

"You were attacked by the beast," Zeeb answered.

Godric remembered the attack. He touched his chest. Strange, there was no mark on it. He didn't even feel any pain. He remembered somebody asking him to drink something. What had he drunk?

"We all thought you died. You were just lying there and didn't move anymore," said Zeeb, sniffing.

"There was somebody there," Godric said. "He asked me to drink something,"

Zeeb and the Queen looked at each other and then he said, "Yes. There was somebody, but we didn't catch his name."

"What happened to the beast?"

"He would have defeated us all, if he hadn't been chased away by your helper and some of his people."

"I owe him my life," said Godric. "I pray there will be time for me to repay him."

"You will, Godric," the Queen pressed his hand, "If you are not too proud to go and hunt the beast by yourself."

"How long have I been here?"

"Almost half a day," said Zeeb. "We brought you here as soon as possible. It was difficult to enter the palace without your slave's help."

Slave? He didn't have any slave. He himself was a slave! He looked around to realize that Zeeb addressed Amani as his slave. He looked at her. "She's not my slave," he said, "A maid, a friend, perhaps, but not a slave."

Amani's big eyes were teary, but there was a smile on her face.

The Queen got up. "You need some sleep," she said.

He caught her hand. "Stay here, at least until I sleep."

As if it was a sign for everybody in the room to go, they left one by one. The Greek was the last person to leave. When their eyes met, Godric could see that his teacher's thought was filled with grief.

"You brought the Zrocottas without asking me!" the Queen hissed when the room was empty. "Do you realize how dangerous they are? When the people find out about this…,"

"They don't have to."

"Godric, the walls in the palace have ears. Soon, the news will be spread like sand blown by the wind!"

"They are good people. They are helping you!"

"You're child-like, Godric. And you are a child. It was my mistake to take you in."

"I am not a child! I am a man! I can make my own decisions and I have no regret to have the Zrocottas' acquaintance! And don't tell me that it was a mistake…please. I love you, you know I do," he kissed her hand. "Punish me for my stubbornness, but don't punish me for loving you by telling me that it was a mistake." He held her and put his head on her chest. The sweet smell of her body filled his senses, making him tremble with the fear of losing her. He could tell she was angry, not as a lover to another, but as a queen to her subject. Her body was rigid; her breaths were short and heavy.

"I have been trying to buy some time so that you don't have to tie yourself with any peoples that live on my land," she said. "I want you to go home to your land, my love, to live the way you used to live. Once you tie yourself with those peoples, it is difficult and almost impossible to set yourself free."

"I don't want my old life," he tightened his hold. "I like my new life with you."

"Godric," she raised his head so that they looked into each other's eyes. Her brown eyes were glistening with tears. "My beloved…,"

Godric lay down and pulled her softly so that they lay beside each other on the small bed. "I might have done something wrong by not telling you about the Zrocottas, but time wasn't on my side. They picked me up when I was sleeping. I had to follow them otherwise I wouldn't have gained the information that you need."

"You almost got killed."

"I promise to be careful next time."

The Queen sighed. "The Gods must have loved you very much that you have been protected the whole time. But let's not make the gods angry by taking advantage of their loves and become careless. Now sleep, my love. Let the burden of this land become mine. Your duty is to make me happy and you have neglected your duty in the last days." She put her head on his chest and rested her hand on his stomach.

"I won't do it again, I promise," he kissed her head. The smell of her hair seemed stronger today. He could tell she had used at least three different flowers to wash her hair. "When everything is over, I'll spend the rest of my days pleasing and satisfying you."

The Queen sighed. "When everything is over…I wonder how long it will be."

Godric thought the same thing too.

Xxxxx

It was evening when Godric woke up. The Queen wasn't there anymore, but her sweet smell lingered. A white veil was laid on his bed. He took it and sniffed it. He smiled as he caught the scent of her body. He knew which part of her body produced such an arousing smell such as this was and his smile was wider as some pictures appeared in his mind. He knew what he was going to do to her tonight. He would do just about the same as the pictures he had just seen in his head. No more and no less.

He tied the veil around his hip. He felt his lower limb harden. The veil was soft like the Queen's hands. Having it on his hip was like having her hands on his hip, the difference was she wouldn't stop there. Her hands would remove his trousers and….

The door was opened.

Godric was startled and turned around when he saw that he had been aroused. He had told the Greek almost everything that had happened to him; still he didn't feel comfortable to face him with a growing dick like that.

"I see that you are already well," said the Greek. "There's something … I want to talk to you."

Godric cleared his throat. With a red face, he sat in front of him. He had to change his position several times before finally he felt comfortable.

The Greek lifted his eyebrow. "Young ones!" he hissed. "They still have time to think about it, even in this troubling time!" He opened the roll of parchment that he had with him. It was the same parchment he had seen some nights ago. The drawing on that parchment was new to him. "It is difficult to understand this drawing," the Greek said. "It's an old drawing of the sky."

"Drawing of the sky?"

"There were peoples who lived before our time and they had already great knowledge about the sky. Enlil came from a land where such knowledge had been encouraged and flourished. This drawing is old, Godfrey. I don't understand the language and I believe my knowledge reaches its limit to be able to tell you the meaning of all these circles and points.

"Enlil told me to pay attention to the appearance of these three stars and if the planets stand behind one another and form a line. I know that in two days, they will form a line, but I didn't know the meaning of these three stars until this morning. When they form a triangle like this, they are like a gate to a power that is unknown to me. To tell you the truth, Godfrey, I fear of what will come." That old face looked pale. His eyes, which were calm most of the time, moved restlessly. "We have to find the priest, Godric, and fast. I am afraid; the days are not on our side because if my calculation is correct, this formation will take place in the next three days."

"How should we find the priest, Teacher, if we don't know what she looks like?"

"She will come to get you. You wounded her beast; she will not stop hunting you until she gets you."

"Then let her come. I am ready."

"You have to be. My heart tells me she is very near; my heart also tells me she won't have it easily."

"I will give my life for you, Teacher. I will protect you."

The Greek smiled. "And I will protect you. You are the son I never had, the lover I never touched and the life that I envy."

"Don't be sad, Teacher. I will remember your teachings and I will share your teachings with my children. You will live forever in me and my children."

The Greek touched his cheek. "I know." His eyes glistened. "I know, my boy."

Godric didn't like the way the Greek looked at him. It was as if he had his mind made up, on what, he didn't know. And by the way he looked at him, it seemed the Greek wouldn't bother telling him either.

Later that night, Godric watched the sky outside the palace wall, together with the Zrocottas. As much as he desperately wanted to find the sky matching with the drawing he had seen, the sky looked like many nights before. It was clear and bright with countless stars hanging at it, but none of them formed any triangle or a line.

The Zrocottas were getting restless. They walked around, talked to each other with low voices and some of them even talked in a language that Godric had never heard before. He didn't understand what they were whispering about, but he could tell that they didn't like the situation any more than he did.

"They want to go home," Zeeb's voice made him look at him. He was standing, with his face up to the sky. "They don't feel they belong here."

"I thought you wanted to live in the city."

"No, we don't want to live in the city. We want to be accepted, to be a part of this great land, to be treated equally." Zeeb looked at him. "Living in the city will be hard for us. You see, Godric, we use our senses of smell and hearing to survive. Every changing in the air possibly means nothing to you, but it does to us. Right now, I can tell at least four different smells on your skin. You have goat milk, jasmines, sweet wood, and cinnamon…"

Godric felt his face burning. Those smells must have been from the Queen. He had touched her, kissed her and if she hadn't stopped him, he would have loved to …

"You love her, don't you? I can hear your heart beat faster."

"Yes, I do."

"You realize you will never be her man?"

"I am her man."

"On her bed, I am sure of it, but not beside her throne."

"I don't want to be a king."

"And you will never be." Zeeb's face was closer. "Be careful, Godric. As soon as they know what I know, your life will be in danger…her life will be in danger."

"What are you talking about? What do you know?"

Before Zeeb answered, one of the men came to them in hurry. Behind him was a man Godric hadn't seen before.

"Joseph! What are you doing here?"

The new man came forward. "My cousin from Napata came not long after you had left the village. His Pack Leader has sent him to get some help. The Roman army is approaching Napata, Zeeb and within days they will enter my cousin's village. They ask us to help them to stop the Roman army."

"Are you mad?" asked Godric. "You can't stop Roman armies only by yourselves. Have you ever seen their red banner flying on the wind, their drums and trumpets calling for blood and the sounds of their boots marching through your fields? The bravest man will be shaken with fear and the weakest will run for his life. Trying to stop them with a few men is suicide."

Joseph, the new man, looked at him. "Who are you? And how do you know so much about Romans?"

"He's Her Majesty's…"

"Slave. And before that, I was Senator Maximus' slave. Senator Maximus had taken me to some of his battles. I heard and saw how they marched to their conquered lands."

Joseph's eyes turned to yellow and soon his skin was covered with black hair. Godric drew his sword and pointed at him.

"Joseph, Godric…come to your senses!" said Zeeb.

Joseph's teeth grew longer. "How do we know he's not a Roman's spy? That son of a bitch Maximus wouldn't give his slave so easily if he had nothing to achieve. From what I heard, Maximus' slave is also his lover! I bet this one is no different than the rest of his ass licker lovers!" He started moving in circle. Godric followed him with his eyes. The other Zrocottas were forming a circle around them, but none of them moved a step closer as Zeeb raised his hand.

"What Senator Maximus did or does with other slaves is not my concern," said Godric. "He never touched me or gave me tokens of a lover; otherwise he would have lost his hands. No Roman touched me and survived to tell the tale."

"I heard whisperings that the Queen is growing weak. They said that the Romans had her in their hands. I thought it was only rumours, rambling talks of drunken men. But now I am certain," he spat. "I have never thought she was anything but a whore who would do anything to satisfy her man, including selling her land to the higher bidder!"

"Enough!" said Zeeb.

Godric was stunned. Was that what the people thought? That he was a Roman's spy who seduced the Queen and made her weak? Yes, he had seduced her once or twice by walking around in her chamber naked or standing close to her – close enough that she could feel his heat, but not close enough for her to touch him. Sometimes he would lie next to her, citing some Druids' poems in his tongue and working her all up. He had done them all because he wanted her to make love to him or most of the times it was because he had wanted to make love to her.

"You didn't know…" Joseph's voice pulled him back to reality. Joseph's eyes were no longer yellow and the hair on his skin was slowly disappeared.

Godric sheathed his sword. "No, I didn't know. She never allows me to come near her court or visit her during the day. But even if I was allowed, I would never do such a thing. She is a woman like I have never seen before. I will do anything to protect her and her greatness. If I was the cause of her shame, I would more than willingly leave her…," he said his last sentence with a heavy feeling. There would be no power in this world able to separate him from her, he knew it, but for her sake, he would do it…

"Can you not see, Joseph?" asked Zeeb, turned Godric around so that Joseph could see his back. "He was marked with that cursed tool. Either he was a mad man or he told the truth about Romans."

Godric heard somebody sniffing. It was Joseph.

"My disgust against Romans blinds me," Joseph said. "I apologize."

Godric nodded.

"Somebody has to tell the Queen," again, Joseph said. "And I have to return to our village. My cousin is waiting for me."

"I am sorry, Joseph, but you can't leave the main city," said Zeeb.

"Why?"

"There's a power beyond our knowledge that hinders anybody who wants to leave the city. Alon and Dekel tried, they were attacked by a beast."

"What about Ari? Surely he could leave. My cousin needs our answer. We can't let him return to Napata empty handed!"

"I can try," said Ari.

Zeeb nodded. "Go, now."

Ari took off his tunic and within a blink of an eye; he changed into a bird and left his trousers behind.

"I'll wake the Queen up," Godric said. "She has to know."

Xxxxx

Her hair was all tussled and the strap of her night gown was loose, showing some parts of her breasts. "What time is it?" she asked sleepily.

Godric tried with all his might not to touch her. He knew, once he laid his hands on her, he would never be able to stop. He'd been wanting her since the first time he opened his eyes today and there was nothing else that he would do, but to make love to her. If only he had been alone, and no Zrocotta waiting for them outside her chamber, he would have jumped to the bed, taken her in his arms and made love to her until he couldn't do it anymore.

"I am sorry to wake you up, my Queen. Zeeb and his men are waiting for you outside."

"You brought them to my chamber?" she got up. Her eyes were bright. Her sleepiness seemed to have gone. "Why…" her mouth was opened and Godric couldn't restrain himself from touching her anymore. He knelt down, grabbed her neck and kissed her. Before long they rolled down on the bed and he groaned as she pushed him away and sat down on the edge of the bed. Desperately he touched her back.

"I am sorry," he said, taking a deep breath. "I should've been able to…," his sentence was stopped as she turned her head around. She was smiling. By Aeron, she shouldn't have done that. He fingered his hair. In any other night, he swore he would make love to her until the morning came because it was clear she wanted him, too. But as she had shown him, the matter that waited for them outside was more important than their own desires. Now, everything was getting harder. He wished she would have been angry with him, scolded at him or anything other than smiling.

"Why are they here?" she asked.

"Joseph – one of Zeeb's men, brought important news from Napata. The Romans are reaching the border and it is only a matter of days before they attack the city."

She got off the bed. "I need my robe," she said.

Godric jumped off the bed and rushed to the next chamber to get one of her robes. When he returned, she had brushed her hair and fixed her night gown. He helped her put the robe on and when he finished tying the belt, she cupped his head and kissed him.

"Understand this," she said as she let him go, "After tonight; things might not be the same any more. Our land will be drawn in war. I am the Queen of this land and I have to defend her, either with words or with my swords. I might not have time as much as I want to be with you, but I will carry you in my heart."

Godric took her hands and kissed them. "I'll follow you to wherever you will lead me, my Queen. You're the captain of my soul, for you; there will be no battle that is deep enough for me."

She smiled, released her hand and turned around. "I wish I could say this in different time, but now is as good as any time will be. I love you, Godric." Then, she raised her head and walked out, leaving Godric standing with his mouth open.

Xxxxx

For the next two days, Meröe city was busy. The Queen had called all men who could bear weapons to register themselves and to be ready to be sent to war. The workshops, which produced jewelries and accessories, were ordered to smith the swords, spears and shields instead. Food was collected from each and every house and stored in silos. Horses, camels and elephants were put together in a field and guarded.

Meröe was ready for war.

Godric watched the activities from the window of the Queen's chamber. Sooner or later, the wind would carry the news to Napata or even to Rome and the Roman Empire would answer it. Some part of him was excited and anxious. He couldn't wait to raise his sword and give the Romans what they deserved. But on the other hand, he knew, the Roman Empire was never an easy opponent. He had seen their attack once in the village of his Norse brothers. The soldiers had been organized and listened only to their commanders. They hadn't known mercy then, and surely they wouldn't know mercy now.

The Zrocottas were given a place of their own at the palace. It was a house, separated from the rest of the complex. The Queen told them that there was a tunnel under the house, which they could use to leave the palace unnoticed. However, if there was a report about any attack against soldiers or any people in the main city, she wouldn't hesitate to punish all Zrocottas.

Zeeb accepted the terms half-heartedly. He had no other choice. He and his men couldn't leave the city and the full moon was getting nearer. Living in the city without the Queen's protection would only cause problems. The last thing he wanted was to face the anguish of the Meröe Queen.

Strangely, the Greek seemed to have disappeared. Godric couldn't find him anywhere. Amani said that he needed some time on his own to learn more about the Sky drawing and how to defeat the priest and her beast. Godric hoped the Greek would return before he joined the soldiers marching to Napata.

"I didn't expect you to be here, my love," The Queen's voice made him turn around. She was entering the chamber with two maids behind her.

"I waited for you before I go to Zeeb," he said. He had spent the last couple of days with Zeeb and his men to do some exercises and to learn how to fight as a group. Zeeb told him if there was no company that was willing to accept him, he and his men would take him. Therefore, he had to learn how to fight as a group and to read the signs. Because like it or not, they would be forced to change themselves to wolves and when they were in their wolf-forms they couldn't communicate anymore, except with signs.

The Queen walked towards him; meanwhile the maids walked out and closed the door. "I am very grateful that you brought the Zrocottas to my palace," she said. "For without their information, I wouldn't have known about the Romans' movement."

"They want to be accepted as your people, my Queen. They will do anything for you; once you grant their wishes."

"They are my people, whether or not I say it out loud," she put down her tiara on the table. Her curly hair fell to her shoulders.

Godric sighed. She was always a pleasure to his eyes, especially if she let her hair down. He couldn't count anymore how many time he played with that hair or simply buried his face under it. He loved its smell; he loved its silkiness. "How come," he tried to pull himself together, "you didn't hear anything about the Romans' movement around your border? I remember you forbid me to talk about the war, but even then, you yourself didn't seem to be sure whether the news that reached your ears was true or not. You must have some scouts who report especially to you. Didn't they give you anything?"

Her jaws moved.

Godric realized he had asked something sensitive, something that bothered her lately.

"So, you notice," she said.

"I am still learning," he nodded. "To understand how you govern your people, and from what I learned in Rome or here, Queens and Kings are surrounded by loyal subjects, spies and enemies. You must have them all. And I think it's only normal if I or anybody else asks the same question."

"I am more and more certain," she sat on the bed, "that you should leave the land. You learn too fast and too much. You will only put yourself in danger."

"Why?" he came to her. "Is it because I can please you the way you want me to, or is it because you and perhaps other people realize that I am not only good in pleasing you, but also in seeing and noticing things that can endanger your throne?"

"For whatever reason, Godric, there will always be some people, who don't agree or like you. You can't please everybody."

"As long as I can please you, it's worth staying here."

She smiled. "You and your sweet words. If you continue going around and spreading sweet words from your mouth, you will only break young girls' hearts."

Godric knelt down and put his head on her lap. As long as he didn't break hers…

"My beloved slave…," her fingers ran through his hair.

"My beloved master…," he looked at her and smiled.

Brakk!

Suddenly, the door was opened with force.

Godric leapt onto his feet, unsheathed his sword and told the Queen to stand behind him, but she went to take one of the spears instead.

A group of men entered the room. The weapons, which were in their hands, gleamed under the sun light that entered the room through the window. They were all standing, as if they were waiting for something, somebody. Their eyes were black.

Godric whistled and desperately hoped that the Zrocottas heard it. He wouldn't be able to face them alone, not with the Queen behind him.

"Who are you?" asked the Queen in Kushite. "For my people won't taint this sacred ground without fearing to lose their lives!"

"They are those who don't want to see this land washed away to the Nile," a deep voice answered her question.

"Minister! What are all these?"

The row of the black eyed men was broken into two as the man with the deep voice entered the room. He was tall and built. His skin was darker than the Queen, so dark that it had green light on its surface. He wore golden armor and two swords on his hip. Whoever he was, the Queen seemed to fear him. His eyes were as black as the rest.

"I have heard many stories how you have lost your sights on how to govern this land. People say, it is not Candace of Meröe who gives order, but the dirt under your feet."

Godric grabbed his sword tighter and moved closer to the Queen.

"I have also tried to let you do what you please. Playing games with Romans, trusting them like our brothers, even letting you sleep with their spy!"

"I am not a spy!" said Godric in Kushite. "I might be a lot of things, but I am not a Roman spy."

The man looked at him and then at the Queen. "Is he your mouth piece now?"

The Queen raised her head. "And you trust the judgment from the street more than your own flesh and blood? I am the Queen of Meröe. There is no ruler over me, but Amun himself!"

"Then perhaps you can explain this!" The man raised his hand.

Held by two men was Ari. His body, which was moving, trying to escape from his capturers, was covered with blood and mud. A piece of cloth was the only thing that covered his lower limb. He must have been caught when he was in his animal-form. Who could do such a thing? And how had they known that it was Ari?

"This, my cousin, is one of the cursed people who live among the rocks," said the man. "He was a little bird when he was caught. Among his unclear rambling, he confessed he was sent by your precious slave to Napata to INFORM THE ROMANS!"

"That's a lie," said Godric. He was about to say that he hadn't sent him when his eyes met Ari's. In that moment he realized that Ari was begging him not to tell them about Zeeb and his men. "The Romans will march through his village. Somebody has to warn the people who live there!"

"And endangering the whole battle preparation?"

"I maybe haven't gone to many battles," said Godric. "But I know the enemies have scouts and spies of their own. The Romans will find out about the preparation one way or the other, but they will never find it from me!"

"Hold your tongue, Slave!" said the man. "Guards, remove this slave and protect the Queen!"

At that very moment, as the men, who were holding Ari, were loosening their grips, Ari looked at Godric, smiled and then puff, he disappeared. Godric grabbed the Queen's hand and asked her to stand behind him.

Soon the sound of clutching metal filled the room. The man with the deep voice walked out of the room as soon as the guards charged Godric.

Godric moved as fast and hard as he could to shield himself from the attack. He didn't know how many men he had slashed with his sword when suddenly he felt hot pain on his arms. One of them had wounded him. He ignored the blood dripping to the floor. In his eyes and mind was only the Queen. With one hand he tried to block the charge, with the other hand he tried to keep her behind him.

Then, he felt something push him backward. The next thing he knew was the cold hard ground and her voice, "GODRIC!" His chest was burning. He looked at it and saw a spear. He tried to stand up, but a foot stopped him. Slowly the burning feeling crawled all over his skin. His eyes were blurry and there were voices coming from every direction, screaming and howling. The Zrocottas, they were there. The Queen was safe.

"So," he heard a melodious voice, "you're the one who wounded my prince."

Godric forced himself to look at the voice's owner. A beautiful pale woman was towering over him, with her hair was black and her lips were red. Her eyes were dark brown, almost black. Her hands were on the spear. "Beg for a mercy, and I'll spare your life,"

Godric smiled. Why should he? The Queen was safe now. The woman whom he loved and who loved him was safe. There was nothing else that he wished. Aeron, at last, he would see Aeron.

"You are one of Dionysus' lovers from the North. I give you a chance. Beg for mercy."

"I am no lover of your god, as you are no lover of my god. As Belenus is my witness, there's only one mercy that I am longing for: A mercy from my father, a mercy from my mother, a mercy from my blood line before me, who have long awaited me to walk down the path of the otherworld with them."

"Save your breath, Dionysus' lover. There will be no otherworld for you, once you come….," but she didn't finish her sentence. Godric heard loud noises and screams, but he didn't see anything. The air started to get cold and heavy. He couldn't move; he couldn't even breathe. Cold, everything was cold…and heavy. He heard heavy breathing; he felt something touch him, but he couldn't see a thing. Where was he? Where was the Queen…Candace…where was she…what was her name…was it too late to ask her name….he heard somebody laughing, high and shrill…then a familiar face appeared. His mother with a flower on her ear…her red hair shone under the sun, running through the yellow grass….Mother….he wanted to reach out his hand but she kept on running….then she turned around and smiled. 'Come, Godric…I'll show you where the berry bushes are…it's our secret…' Mother…then his father's face appeared. Covered with mud and beard… 'Stand straight, Boy! And pay attention! Always pay attention…' Father….Mother….Candace….where are they?

"Forgive me…" he heard somebody saying. "Forgive me…." Something was removed from him, but he didn't know what….

Then silence. Dead silence. He didn't hear anything anymore. The faces were also gone. It was dark and cold…very cold…He felt numb. He couldn't feel his body anymore….and cold…He closed his eyes. He would rest for a while…only a while…yes…maybe it wouldn't be this cold anymore…

"Godric…," a familiar voice opened his eyes. That pale man….Enlil…, "Drink, Godric…,"

"What should I drink?"

"My blood."

"Your bl…,"

"Yes, Godric, my blood. And I can offer you more…"

"Th..re's nothi…th…that I w-want…"

"You want to see her again, don't you?"

"Sh…saf…safe…"

"No, Godric, she isn't. Zeeb told me she's with Senator Maximus, as a guest, but you know what it meant to be a Roman's guest, don't you?"

She's with the Romans…Godric tried to move, but he couldn't. "T…take…me…th…,"

"You are dying, Godric. If I remove the spear from your chest, you will die. I know that you like living and learning."

"C-cold…it's…c-cold…"

"Say yes, Godric and I'll give you a new life. You and me…I'll teach you everything I know. If you died, you wouldn't be able to save her. You don't want her to end up as a slave, do you?"

No, she's a queen…his Queen…

"I admired you from the first time I saw you. You have a spirit that can't be broken. I want you to carry my blood and continue my line. I offer you nothing less and nothing more than a chance to live and to learn. Take my blood, Godric, before it's too late."

Godric looked at him. His face was getting blurred. "To l-liv..'n…to l-l..arn…"

"To live and to learn, Godric. Forever."

Godric smiled. "For…ver…"

"Yes, forever….my son."

Something stung his shoulder and everything became black.

xxxxxx


	25. The Morning Before

Chapter Twenty Five

**The Morning Before**

The night owl had stopped screaming. The air seemed to get colder and the wind that touched the curtain brought the smell of wet earth.

The morning was coming.

Godric could feel it and so did I.

The advantage of working in a bar, which closes around midnight, is you can tell when the morning is closing in. The air is getting colder, some night animals are going to bed as some day animals start awakening. The earth is wet from the dew that fell and the sky will slowly get brighter.

Now on my bed, watching Godric playing with the curtain on my window, I couldn't stop wondering how he could keep his face calm and straight. Was it because it had happened long time ago or was it because he somehow had managed to control his emotions in such a level that no human would be able to read them on his face.

"So, it's all planned, eh?" I said, breaking the silence between us. "The Roman Senator had given you to her specifically to discredit her."

"Yes, I believe it was." To my surprise, I didn't catch any hatred or anger. "Therefore, I thanked him. If he hadn't planned it, I wouldn't have met her."

"Did she know it?"

He nodded.

"Why didn't she send you away? It seems to me that she had wanted you to leave."

"She loved me," there was something in those gray eyes; a glint, a sudden awaking memory, something, I wasn't sure what.

"How was it...your first days of being a vampire?"

"Like any other first days. I was confused, excited, sad and angry. But I was mostly impatient. I wanted to go to Senator Maximus' house to get her back. My maker said it would be better for everybody if I didn't show myself, at least not too soon."

Then he turned his face around. I couldn't tell how he looked, but somehow I could understand what he felt. I got down from the bed and hugged him from behind. Softly, I kissed his back where his red tattoo was. Strange, he didn't pull himself away. "Thank you," I said. "For trusting me with the stories of your life."

He held my hands. "Thank you for listening."

I put my head on his back. "What will you do tomorrow?"

"I will go to her place and observe what she's doing."

I sighed. "We won't see each other again?"

"No, we won't."

Then silence.

"Promise me you'll be careful," I said.

He turned around. Again, his eyes glinted. "I am two thousand years old, just in case you forgot. I wouldn't reach this age, if I weren't careful."

"You're seventeen years and some months old to me."

He smiled. "You have a big mouth."

"Just noticed, eh?"

Silence again.

"I love your big mouth," he said. "It's sweet and juicy."

"If you love it, you have to make sure that you'll get out of this mess, alive."

"That's the problem, Darling. I am dead." He caressed my lips with his thumbs.

"So, this is it, then. Are we saying goodbye, now?" I forced myself not to tremble or cry, but he seemed to know it or feel it. His thumbs were now beside my nose. His face was getting closer, so close that our noses touched each other, but then, he stopped. His mouth was open. It was clear that he tried to control himself not to kiss me.

"Yes. If you ask me whether I want it to be different, yes, I would love that," he said. "I would like to have a hot sex that you probably will not be able to ever forget and torture your men after me because you will compare them with me and they will be mad at me and want to kill me, but I think it's safer this way."

"You've definitely been hanging around with Eric too long. You sound just like him or what I imagine he sounds like."

He grinned. "Or it's the other way around."

"Yeah, right." I held him. My body shuddered from the feelings that seemed to get stronger and stronger. I didn't know how long I could keep them inside.

"No time for being sentimental now, Darling. You're a strong woman and you will get out of this mess alive and intact. Cry, if you want to cry; if that strengthens you and makes you feel better, but make a promise to yourself, you will do whatever you have to do to survive. I will be the last person to judge your decision."

Why did he sound as if I wanted to turn my back on him and joined Callisto? Had he thought of that?

Our eyes met. He released my hug and said. "I won't judge you." He moved backward. "Remember that." Then, he walked away. "Until the day, Tara."

Before I could answer, he was already gone.

Xxxxx

Somewhere in a distance, a church bell rang. Today was Sunday. Twelve o'clock, to be exact. It must have been a church in St. Angel Parish outside Bon Temps. I wondered, whether there was somebody in that church in this very hour that prayed. And if there were, I wondered what. I also wondered if they could tell me because my head was empty and I couldn't find anything, a word or a thing to calm down my fears. A little pray wouldn't harm, I supposed.

Sookie came with sleepy eyes and twisted eyebrows. Whatever she had seen last night must have bothered her a great deal. I had seen orgy scenes once or twice on porn movies that I watched (and mostly I had switched off before it finished). It wasn't something I would recommend to anybody to watch and certainly I wasn't going to even remotely advise anybody to participate, but to actually see it must have been a hell of experience for Sookie.

"You don't look great yourself," she said. "What happened?"

"Nothing much," I said. "Godric told me about his turning."

"Ah," she said, "and how was it?"

"Kinda sad, actually. He couldn't wait to be eighteen years old, to have some children with his Queen – I know, it's weird that he wanted children in such a young age, but he is from a different time and I guess, eighteen was already pretty old at that time. He was dying, you know, when his maker asked him and his Queen had been kidnapped by a Roman Senator. I think, if he hadn't been dying and his Queen had been all right, he would have fought until the last drop of blood and chose to die rather than to live forever."

Sookie took a deep breath. "It must have been frightening to live like that. Everybody sees you as a teenager and being treated as such. And the puberty..."

"I don't think that he'd ever reached his puberty; I mean not the way we had it. He became a slave when he was around thirteen and then being traded from one hand to another until when he met his Queen. Even then, he was only a chess figure. The Roman senator wanted the people of Meröe to think that their Queen was under the influence of a Roman slave so that it would be easier for the Roman Army to attack Meröe. You know, _divide et impera_. So, he might have had puberty but surely he hadn't had time to express it or go wild because of it."

"That's sad."

I nodded. "But she loved him and he loved her. Even time and space can't change that."

"What about you? Do you love him?"

"I don't know." And that was an honest answer. I liked being with him. He's not like anybody I knew. He's smart, loyal, incredibly good in bed (one could expect it, since he had two thousand years of experience) and patient. There were not so many people who could handle my loose mouth and he was definitely one of them.

But he is a vampire and I am a human. There is world between us that I am not sure I will be able to accept right away.

"What is your plan for today?"

I thanked Sookie for not asking me more questions about Godric and me. "I want to see my mother," I said. "I want to ask her – straight to her face, why she did what she did to me. I want her to hear from me that I am dying. Because if she survives from all of this mess, I want her to know that she's the one who killed me. Not a vampire or Callisto, but her."

"You scare me, Tara. You are so determined about it. It is as if you know that you will die."

"I am dying, Sookie."

"I know, but Godric and Eric are here. They will protect us. You will survive too and before you know it, you'll be screaming at the top of your lungs to some drunkards at Merlotte's."

"You trust them, don't you?"

"Not as much as I trust you, but yeah, I trust them. I trust Eric to keep his words and he trusts Godric. I can trust Godric as well, I guess."

"But you said Eric was a smart-ass manipulative bastard."

"He is, but he never lets me down and he's there when I need him.,"

"Or when you don't."

Sookie smiled. "Or when I don't, makes me have some kind of a feeling that he's my shadow, you know what I mean?"

"Yeah."

"So," Sookie clapped her hands, as if the subject had been settled. "We should go to the hotel now, before it's too late."

"Too late for what?"

"You don't expect Lettie-Mae to sit around the whole day doing nothing, do you? If she was drunk last night, at least we still could 'catch her' before … you know?"

"Prancing for booze, yeah...," I looked at her. "I wish I had a mother like yours."

"You don't mean that," she stared back at me. "You wouldn't want to have a mother who freaked out every time you looked at her too long, or jumped when you touched her. And when you wanted to hug her, she always had excuses to stay away from you."

"My mother never talks nice to me, or if she did, then it was because she wanted to have something from me."

"At least she talked to you."

I took her hand and squeezed it. "Sorry."

Sookie smiled. Clearly she tried to hide her own pain. "We will get through it, Tara. When everything is over, we'll send her to a rehab clinic. I will borrow money from Eric if I have to. But one thing for sure, she and you can't go on like this."

"If we get through this..."

"We will."

I admired her spirit. Even at a time like this, she still believed we would be able to do what we wanted to do and successfully. In some ways, she reminded me of Godric.

Knock, knock, knock!

"Are you expecting somebody?" she asked.

"No."

We looked at each other. She put her finger on her mouth and then she went to the door, put her head on the door and closed her eyes. Her face was pale when she opened her eyes.

"We have to go, now!" she said.

Before I could move, the door was opened with force.

Standing at the door was Lafayette. He smiled, but his eyes were as black as the night. Behind him were Kevin, Hoyt and some men.

"Hi, girlfriends," he said. "Going somewhere?"

xxxxx


	26. At Callisto's

**Chapter Twenty-Six**

**At Callisto's  
**

"Easy, now," said Lafayette when Sookie came to him. "Nobody will get hurt if we all take it easy."

I had heard that sentence thousand times, in many action movies I had seen. It was spoken in different way, but in the end, there was always somebody who got hurt. And especially with the looks of Lafayette and the others, I was sure that somebody would get hurt, either Sookie and me or them. I grabbed Sookie's hand and said in my head, _they are under Callisto's spell, Sook. Save Lafayette, please..._

Sookie looked at me. Her lips trembled, but she nodded. "Laffy...can we talk?" She reached out her hand; Lafayette moved backward.

"Don't you even try, bitch!" His voice was deeper than normally. Through his black eyes, a red glint shone through. "I know what you are. You are a freak, like the rest of your family!"

Sookie's blue eyes were widened. She didn't expect that Lafayette would say such a thing.

_He's not Lafayette, Sookie. _I said in my head. _Don't take it personally. Callisto is using him against us._

Sookie swallowed her spit. I knew it wouldn't be the first time that somebody called her a freak, but actually to hear it from somebody whom she considered a friend must have hurt her.

"What do you want, Laffy?" I asked.

"You are invited to the party, Baby-girl," Lafayette smiled at me.

"Jeez, thanks, Laf." I tried to be as cheerful as I could manage. "You know I love parties, but my hands are tied for the moment. I'll take a rain check."

Lafayette moved his head; like being commanded, Hoyt and Kevin entered the room. "I don't want to force you, Cuz, but I have to do it," Lafayette said. "Oh, I hate you for making me do this."

"One more step, and I blow your head off," Jason's voice suddenly filled the room. I turned around and saw Jason and Andy standing behind us with guns aimed at Lafayette. They must have sneaked around from the back door.

Lafayette snorted mockingly. "And you think we believe you will shoot your best friends... to shoot Kevin, the man who loves you, but is too much a coward to say it to your face and you are too dumb to see it?"

Kevin and Hoyt took some steps forward, shielded Lafayette.

Clack, clack.

Both Jason and Andy cocked the guns.

"They are not my friends," said Jason. His jaws were clenched. His finger was on the trigger. I could see sweat running down Andy's forehead.

"Jason...no," I said, spreading my arms. "They are not themselves...," _please Sookie, help me with Lafayette..._I begged her in my mind. "I'm going with you, Laffy."

"Tara...hell no!" said Jason.

"Sorry, Jason...I have to,"

"Good girl," Lafayette grinned. His covered gold corner tooth gleamed as if it wanted to mock all of us. "Don't worry, Jason...I'll return her to you, of course, if you still want to have a dead meat's leftover...," then he laughed.

At the same time, as Lafayette's guard was down, Sookie grabbed his hand. Jason jumped and helped his sister hold Lafayette, who was now shrieking and kicking.

"Run, Tara!" I heard Andy yelling at me.

Too late, Kevin had already grabbed my hand and dragged me out of the house. Hoyt snatched the door and held the handle for a moment, before he also ran, followed Kevin, who threw me over his shoulder and ran to the truck.

"Tara!" I heard Sookie scream. I didn't turn around. If this was goodbye, I didn't want to see tears on her face. In fact, I didn't want to see her face at all. She had to find a way to help Lafayette out of the spell. She didn't need to be worried about me.

When the car drove away from the yard, I closed my eyes. This was it. It's the time to face the owner of this bracelet, for better or worse. There is no turning back.

Xxxxx

Half naked people, empty bottles and rotten air welcomed me as we entered the path that led to Callisto's house. The peacefulness I had seen and felt some days ago was gone, replaced by giggling, moaning and laughter. Some bushes were moving and then I heard the familiar sounds of people fucking.

I forced myself to keep my face straight. I didn't want to see who were behind the bushes. If I saw them, I wasn't sure I could keep my mouth shut when they were out of Callisto's spell. If they were out of Callisto's spell...no, no...I did not want those thoughts. I would not give up before the fight. If I shall be beaten, I would make sure that Callisto's would remember me for the rest of her life.

I touched the bracelet. The Greek had offered himself for Godric. I didn't know how, since Godric didn't tell me. His sacrifice would not be in vain. The only way that Godric would recognize Callisto's was through this bracelet. I had to make sure that she wore it again, no matter what it took.

Loud music, laughter and screaming filled the air as the gate was opened. It wasn't actually a scream, it was more likely a combination of all noises - moaning, screaming, talking, yelling and murmuring. I couldn't separate one from the other; they were all mixed, creating a kind of sound that made my skin crawl. The smell of the air didn't help either. It smelt like something rotten. Perhaps it was because of the perfumes, or the sweat, the drinks or any bodily fluids...whatever it was, it upset my stomach. I put my hand on my nose, but it was useless. I could still smell it and as I walked inside the house, the smell was getting stronger.

"Where are you taking me, Kev?" I asked.

"You'll see, Girl, you'll see." he said.

"Why are you doing this to me, Kev? What have I done to you?" I tried to buy the time. "Don't you see what she's trying to do to you? Whatever she promised you, she will never keep it! You can't trust her, Kev!"

"Who should I trust? You?" he snorted.

"No. You!" I stopped and turned around. I stared at his black eyes. "You, Kevin. You have to trust yourself. You are strong; I know you are. You always are. If you really love Jason like what Lafayette said, you have to fight the spell. It's not easy to love Jason because he's the dumbest man and the most insensitive man I've ever known, but he loves you too, perhaps not the way you want him to, but he does. He's worried about you! He's looked for you and Hoyt the whole time. You've got to trust me, Kev!"

I wanted to touch him, but he moved backward. His eyes moved rapidly. "You're shitting me, it ain't working, bitch!"

I grabbed his hand. "Please, Kevin!"

Our eyes met each other. Desperately I tried to find lights in those black eyes, but it was useless. There was no light there, not even a sign that he understood me.

"And you think he will listen to you?" Callisto's melodious voice reached my ears.

Kevin pulled his hand away from me. And as if he had been ordered, he left me. Hoyt followed him sheepishly.

I forced myself not to turn around. I didn't want to face her and lose the control that I was still had. "You aren't that naïve, are you, Tara?" she laughed. "To think you actually will be able to see right through me or defeat me. Is that what he told you? That you could stop me doing what I am going to do to you, your mother or your city? Tara, Tara..." as her steps were getting near, the rotten smell was getting stronger. "He is not what you think he is. He will use you, like any other men who came into your life and used you."

"You don't know anything about my life," I said.

"Enough to tell you this, that the vampire who you've been fucking and I have a very long history together. You should've told me his name when you told me about him. So that everything would be faster, and you could have what you always dream faster, also."

What I always dream? What did she know about my dreams? If she thought bringing my mother back into my life was one of my dreams, then she had made a terrible mistake.

"Besides, he doesn't love you. He loves your blood."

I turned around and gasped as I saw her. Callisto was...changed. She was no longer this beautiful woman whose skin was as smooth as a porcelain doll. Her left hand was covered with some green thing. From the look of it, it looked hard, almost like a reptile's skin. But not like a reptile's skin, which is normally shiny, it was dull.. hard...like an old wooden statue. Her eyes were red and her face was also dull. She looked dead.

"I know that," I tried to be as calm as possible. "He told me," I lied.

She laughed. Her laugh, which used to be sweet and melodious, now sounded like horse's neigh.

"Otherwise, I wouldn't be here," I swallowed my spit. I had to be focused, I told myself and prayed that she wouldn't see how frightened I was. "I should've listened to you."

Callisto looked at me. Her eyes glinted red. I could feel my skin crawling, but I forced myself to stare back at her. I would not blink. I had to be able to fight her stare, or she wouldn't believe what I said. "What made you change your mind?" she asked. "One of the boys didn't return, your friend Sookie (She hissed the 'S' sharply as she said it) and you must have fought them, as I expected you would."

"I am pragmatic," I said. "I can see which is the winning team."

Callisto shook her black hair and laughed. Then, she stopped. Her eyes were now like a pair of needles, stitching my eyes. "Don't insult my intelligence, Tara. Tell me the truth."

I cleared my throat. "I want to know why you chose me, Callisto. Why are you interested in me?"

"Is that what you think?" She reached out her hand. "Come, let's talk somewhere more private," she said. "It's a bit loud here."

For a moment, I wanted to refuse it. Then a thought came to me, if I wanted to get to the bottom of it, then I might as well face it. I took her hand and she smiled.

She brought me to a room on the basement. The loudness from upstairs was damped. The room itself was quite cozy. It was large and painted pastel green. The floor was covered with leopard motif rug. From the look of it, it must have been a very expensive rug. In its middle was a big bed, which was covered with soft, green sheet. On the left and right of the bed were small commodes, with little statues and desk lamps on them. On the bed, there was a staff. It had a pine cone on its top and running down from the pine cone were leaves. In the corner stood a big earthen vase and beside the vase was a small table, covered with fruit and flowers.

I could hate Callisto, but I couldn't hate her style. She simply had a style and taste. Everything she touched became gold, even this basement. It was a kind of eerie that soothed me. This room was peaceful. What an opposite to upstairs...and how strange it was that I didn't hear anything here. I sighed. Peacefulness...yes, that's what I wanted...after everything that had been going on in the last days...would be wonderful if I could catch my breath and forget them all. Maybe if I stayed in this room just for a moment...I closed my eyes...just for a moment before I had to face whatever that would come to me...and my mother.

I opened my eyes. Slowly the sound from upstairs reached my ears and the peacefulness was gone, puffed into the thin air. I heard vaguely somebody laughing. Heh, even this room couldn't escape from the treachery that was going on up there. I turned around and found Callisto standing at the door with wide opened eyes. The red glints were gone and replaced with surprised looks, genuine surprise.

"What?" I asked.

She smiled, but not like before, this smile shivered. "You want to know why I chose you? I didn't. You were at the wrong place, at the wrong time. Let's just say, I wanted to explain everything. Whatever you saw that night was a trick of the foggy night and the alcohol you had inhaled at the bar. But then, we met and I smelt him, all over your body. I thought, if he chose you, you must be somebody special. It's been a long time since he had taken a woman under his protection and from what I hear, it's been a long time since he has taken anybody at all."

She walked towards me. Her green hand reached out to touch my face, but I pulled myself away from her. "You are special, Tara...,"

"But...?"

"No but."

"No, no. Sentences like that always have 'but'."

She smirked. "But not the way you think you are."

"You don't know a shit about what I think."

She laughed, again, like a horse. "Yes, my dear. I know exactly what you think. You think you are special, just like your friend, Sookie." Those eyes became cold. "I am sorry, my dear, but you are not. You are nothing but a common human being, helpless, weak, greedy and stupid. You are worthless.

"Does it not make you wonder how an old vampire like him, who was made by one of the elders becomes attracted to you? Is there something in your blood, is it your body or are you nothing, but a free source of food?

"Yes, Tara. I had the same questions. The more I get to know you, the more I realized I had met you before."

I held my breath. Had she? Did I really remind Godric and her of the Queen of Meröe?

"Oh, oh...Tara...," she smiled. "No, no, my dear. Judging from the look on your face, I know that you know whom I was talking about. Sorry to break your dream bubble, my dear, no, she's not the one."

"I don't know what you're talking about," I said, bit my own lips. Was I that obvious?

"Yes, you do. But I'll tell you anyway. You do not remind him of the Nubian Queen. You remind him of his first food."

What?

She walked away, laughing. "Tara, my dear, who do you think you are?"

"Who was she?" I shouted at her.

"A useless maid, who instead of doing what I said, so that she could become the most powerful woman in the country, sacrificed herself by becoming his food." She stopped and sneered. "If he fucks you, which I believe he did, then it's only because he wants to repay the maid.

"Don't fool yourself, Tara. You mean nothing to him, as the maid meant nothing to him. If you ever think about helping him against me, think about the maid who wasted her life for an ungrateful piece of shit like him."

I wanted to run after her, but her figure soon disappeared behind the door leading to the upstairs.

I returned to the room and slammed the door. Amani, yes, that was her name; and from what Godric had told me, it was clear to me, that she had been in love with Godric.

I took a deep breath. Amani. I reminded him of Amani and not the Queen. I might have smelt and looked like the Queen the night he had almost fucked me on the table in the small kitchen at Merlotte's, but it was Amani's blood he had tasted in me. That was the reason why he couldn't let me go. Not a mercy, not a good will to help a human, but his very first blood.

I felt my chest burn. Fuck! Fuck you, Godric!

xxxxxx


	27. Meeting the Faun

Chapter 27

**Meeting The Faun  
**

I touched the staff. I had never seen a staff like this before. It was old, but clearly well taken care of. It was clean and smelled nice. The leaves were fresh.

Why did Callisto keep a staff like this? Was she a witch? Heh, it would be ridiculous. Witches didn't exist. They only existed in fantasy or mystery stories or movies...didn't they? To be honest, I didn't know anymore. I didn't know what other creatures, besides vampires and shape-shifters, which existed. Godric told me about Zrocottas, which I swore, they sounded like werewolves...Sookie had faery blood in her and I...I sighed...if my grandmother and aunty had told the truth, the whole time...I had a Seer blood in me...

Oh, fuck!

I covered my face. Amani was a Seer or her grandmother was. Was it all only coincidence, a strange twist of fate...or was I somehow related to Amani? Was Amani my ancestor?

The burning feeling in my chest was getting hotter. Had Godric known this all along? Perhaps he hadn't, but he definitely knew about it as soon as he tasted my blood! If he did, why didn't he tell me? Why had he told me about his life as human, but not what he suspected or thought about me? What was the reason behind all of this? Did he really want to repay whatever deed Amani had done for her?

I took a deep breath. Had he really? He didn't know who I was when he saved me. He could've let me die that night, but he hadn't. If he wanted to repay Amani's deed by keeping me safe, protecting me from the Faun and even my own mother...wasn't it a fair thing to do? Shouldn't I be grateful to him? I owed him my life. But why was I...angry? Angry was perhaps not the word, but I felt uncomfortable and somehow betrayed...

Betrayed? Whom by? Godric...or me...my own feelings to be exact. Had I somehow expected Godric to do something else? Had I expected to hear Godric had done those things to and for me because he had a different feeling towards me...feelings which made him do what he had done so I wouldn't have been just a payback person?

I sat up in shock. Did I fall in love with Godric and expect him to love me back? Did I?

A knock on the door interrupted my thought. I pulled myself together and got down. I must have been crazy to think about my feelings toward Godric and his feelings toward me in a situation like this. I had to be able to concentrate and think how to get out of here, and not day dream about Godric!

I opened the door.

"Good day, Miss Tara." Bass was standing in front of it with a tray, which had a tea pot and a cup on it, in his hands. "Miss Callisto wants you to know you are welcome to stay in this room, in case you don't want to join us upstairs."

"Thank you, Bass."

"I made you some tea, Miss. Just in case you're thirsty."

Tea...? The last time I had drunk tea from Callisto I remembered what had happened that night, ending with letting the Faun inside my house and screwing up Godric. Uh-uh, I wasn't going to repeat the same thing.

"Miss Callisto also asked me to take the staff...where shall I put the tray, Miss?"

"Tara!" a familiar friendly voice appeared behind Bass. Sat.

I felt relieved. Sat was here. He could help me. "You can put it anywhere you want, I guess."

Bass entered the room and put the tray on the night stand.

I watched his chubby figure from behind. It was hard to imagine he was the Faun. He's not tall, perhaps below 6 feet. He walked slowly and spoke slowly too. As far as I knew, he was a quiet man. He never talked if he wasn't asked. It was a wonder he had started the conversation – if I could call what we just had was a conversation. Besides, he hadn't been at my place that night. Sat had. And in my eyes, he looked more like a cook than a supernatural.

"Goodness, Tara!" Sat flashed his smile. "I never thought we would see each other again."

I grabbed his hands and pulled him inside the room. "You have to help me out of here," I hissed. "You have to get out of here before it's too late!"

"What? It's my birthday," he said, still smiling. "I won't leave my own birthday party."

I pushed him to the wall. "She will sacrifice you. She will give you the Faun or she will try to sleep with you!"

Sat looked at me in disbelief. "From where did you get such a story about Callisto? She's the nicest person I've ever met! And what kind of sacrifice are you talking about?"

"Oh yeah?" I moved away from him. _The nicest person my ass! _I cursed her. If he had heard how she had talked to me just some minutes ago, he would've changed his mind! I went to the bed and took the staff. Bass looked at me with big eyes. "Miss Tara...,"

"Then why does she keep this? What is this?"

Sat took some steps away. "It's a thrysus...," he said. His eyes were opened wide. "One of family's treasures...Callisto's family, I mean." He looked at Bass. "Bass, could you please take the staff and give it to Callisto?"

Oh, no he didn't. I wouldn't let the Faun take it. Only God knows what he will do with it! "You have to leave this place, Sat!" I said. "They are having an orgy upstairs! They will take you and make you an offer to Callisto's god!"

"No...Tara, you misunderstand! I study sociology and Anthropology...there are some tribes who practice orgy as their way to worship their god, but I never read about human sacrifices during the orgy..."

"Then you never read the correct articles about it...," I knew it sounded lame, but I didn't know what else to say. "They will sacrifice a virgin...and since you are a virgin..."

"What are you talking about?" Then, he chuckled. "I appreciate the thought, but Baby...," he looked at me with the stars twinkling in his eyes. "I am not a virgin...,"

I felt my face turn red. If he wasn't a virgin, then who were they going to sacrifice? And how would I get out of here? Sat didn't seem to bother with what's going on upstairs...his eyes looked normal, it meant he wasn't under the spell...perhaps, it was his birthday, and as strange as it seemed, some people celebrated their birthday excessively.

"Tara...do you really think we will sacrifice a human being?" Sat shook his head. "You've been hanging around with vampires too long."

Perhaps...I didn't know...it wasn't only Godric who said it. Sam did too. I couldn't think anymore. There were too many stories which were contradicting each other. I needed to be alone and to figure out who had told the truth.

I took Sat's hand and gave the staff to him. "Please go," I said. "I want to be alone. Just promise me something."

"What?"

"Don't give the staff to Callisto...at least until your birthday party is over."

"I can't promise, but I'll try to buy time." He gave a sign to Bass to leave the room.

Clack, clack, clack.

Suddenly I heard the sound of the hooves as they were walking away. I gasped. The Faun's foot steps.

They stopped. It seemed they had heard my gasping.

"Are you all right, Miss Tara?" asked Bass. "You look pale."

"F...fine, t-thanks."

"Tara...what's wrong? Bass, could you hold the thrysus for a moment and perhaps pour some tea?" Sat walked towards me, whilst Bass took the staff and leaned it to the wall.

Clack, clack, clack.

Jesus...I moved backward. I had to get out of there, _now. _I wouldn't let Bass touch me or give me anything to drink. I had to find something to defend myself. I looked around and saw a knife among the fruits on the table. "I...I am kinda hungry...I think I...I'll eat something..."

"Okay," said Sat. "I'll wait until you are better."

I went to the table.

A fly flew as I took an apple from the table. It made a soft buzz and then landed somewhere on the wall. Could it be Sam? Godric had told me about Ari, a shape-shifter from Meröe who could change into anything. Were all shape-shifters the same? Could they change into anything they wanted or were there only some of them? Was Sam one of them?

I couldn't take the risk. If the fly was Sam, then at least somebody was here to help, but if it was only a normal fly...I had to face the Faun on my own.

My hand shook uncontrollably when I grabbed the knife. One of them was the Faun. The other was possibly under a spell or wouldn't believe what I said or even take it as normal, the way Sat took the orgy upstairs as a part of his birthday celebration.

Clack, clack, clack.

Somebody was walking around and that somebody was the Faun.

What should I do? I took a deep breath. One thing for sure, I would not leave the room without the knife. It had to be with me. Carefully I put the knife in my trousers and covered it with my t-shirt. I bit the apple and turned around.

"Aargh," I shrieked when I found Bass standing some steps away from, holding a cup of tea. Sat was at the door.

"Perhaps, you will feel better, once you drink the tea, Miss Tara."

No fucking way I would drink the tea. "Could you put it on the night stand? I'll drink it as soon as I finish with the apple."

"Yes, Miss Tara."

Clack, clack, clack.

Bass...Bass was the Faun. This was my only chance. I had to use the knife. If I could somehow wound him, or make him seen by Godric (since he couldn't see the Faun in his human form), it would be easier for Godric to attack him.

I took the knife out of my trousers and leaped to charge him, when out of nowhere, Sat jumped between us and took Bass into his arms. The knife landed on Sat's back and as if I stabbed a stone, the knife made a 'clang' noise. Then, it fell to the ground.

My eyes were wide open when I saw Sat's back. The t-shirt was ripped off revealing two punctures on his shoulders. They looked like a vampire's bite... or a snake's bite. I felt my knees weak. Snake's bite...Sam had bitten the Faun on the shoulders when he tried to escape by changing himself into a snake. Sat...Sat...was the Faun...

Sat turned around. His twinkling eyes, his brilliant smile disappeared. His face was now cold and expressionless. "Tara," he said. "It's a pity we have to get to know each other this way."

xxxxx


	28. Before The Storm

**Author's Note: **The name Dennis is taken from _Denys_ or _Denis_, the medieval French forms of Dionysus. Gaul or Gallia, according to Wikipedia, was a region of Western Europe during the Iron Age and Roman era, encompassing present day France, Luxembourg and Belgium, most of Switzerland.

The Gauls were part of the Celtic people. Julius Cesar said that the people who lived in the Gaul area called themselves Celtae, or Celtic.

Chapter Twenty-Eight

**Before The Storm  
**

"You..." I moved backward until I felt something against my back. It was the table. "You...you are the Faun..."

"Yes...the Romans called me that, but I prefer to be called Satyr. Callisto prefers to call me Dennis...the way the Gaul people called Lord Dionysus."

Sat...from Satyr...and Dennis was the way the Gaul people called Dionysus...The word swirled in my head. My skin crawled. I had known and been around the Faun all along and I didn't realize it.

Sat took off his t-shirt and walked towards me. Clack, clack, clack, the sound of hooves followed him, everywhere he went.

"Why me, Sat?"

He flashed his smile, but that smile didn't make my heart lose its beat anymore, but race with fear. "You saw me."

"It was coincidence. I was at the wrong place, at the wrong time!"

"Yes, but still, you saw me...even now, when I am in this weak and disgusting form."

Disgusting form? He is Sat now...athletic, full-muscled six feet figure. He's handsome, his dark red brown skin shone and the six abs he has over there...different time, different circumstances, I believe, we would hit the sack sooner than I spoke the word 'sack'.

I lifted my hands and tried my best to sound calm when I said, "You look the same, like the first day we met..."

He closed his eyes and as he opened them, he smiled. The smile was cold and mocking. "You are lying."

"I am not," I lied. "I swear!"

Suddenly, his face was only inches away from mine. A strong, fishy smell attacked my nose. I wanted to move back, but I couldn't. He touched my face with the back of his hand. His hand was wet and cold, as if I had been touched by a snake. "Human...," he hissed, "too eager to please, too quick to lie."

"I don't know who you think I am...," I forced myself to stare back at him, and bit my lips when I looked into his eyes. They were black and maybe it's only my feeling, but in them, there was no light. God, I wished I saw some red glints in there. It was strange, I know, but at least, I wouldn't have a feeling that I was staring into an abyss, an emptiness in the night. "But I swear on Gran's grave, you look just like the first time we met."

Clack, clack, clack...he moved some steps away. "So tell me, how did you know?"

"I..," I couldn't say that the sound he made when he walked was the sound of hooves and not normal step. "I thought Bass was the Faun." This time, I was being honest. "I thought they would sacrifice you..," I looked at Bass, who was standing beside the night desk, looking empty minded. "Does it mean Callisto and you will...," I looked back at Sat. "...sacrifice him?"

"How did you know?" Sat ignored my question. His voice was getting louder*

"I...I don't know..."

He jumped and again his face was very close to mine. "LIAR!"

I gasped and closed my eyes. _I'll die...I am sure of it..._His breath was as rotten as Callisto's, but more than that, it was hot and fishy. My face hurt, as if it had been cut by something sharp. Then, I felt something cold and wet touched it.

"Don't lie to me, Tara," his voice was soft, but intimidating. "I've been nice to you, all this time, haven't I? So why don't you try to be nice to me by telling me the truth."

I opened my eyes. "I'll die anyway, why should I tell you?"

"You're not gonna die...unless she says so, but she doesn't say about anything else either."

"What do you mean...?" I looked at him and felt stupid. Anything else meant _anything else. _The possibilities were endless. God, what would he do to me?

"Clever girl," he chuckled. "You're beginning to understand."

"I swear, Sat," I dared myself to touch his hands. "I don't know how it happened, it just did. I don't see you as the Faun...but I can hear you...your steps...they sound like hooves' steps..." Something warm ran down my cheeks. Strange, by telling Sat that, I felt more like I was betraying Godric and the others. Yes, Godric had told me that he wouldn't judge me, whatever decision that I took, he would understand...but still, I felt like a traitor. "You have to believe me..."

Sat touched my cheeks, then he said, "Such a clever girl, so unfortunate you have to live such a short time."

He was going to kill me, I was sure of that. But then, he walked away. Only some steps, then he stopped again. His voice was low and growling when he said, "Lucky you, she likes you. But one day, clever girl, when we meet again, you might not be this lucky."

He left the room, followed by Bass.

I didn't know how long it was when I finally got a grip of myself. I felt my knees like jelly and it didn't matter how hard I grabbed the table, I fell to the ground. _Dear God..._I clinched my jaws. _Thank you for..._I grabbed my chest. It was hot and painful. The fear that I had held back had finally overcome me. I tried to take a deep breath, but I couldn't. It was too hot and too painful. And when I couldn't stand it anymore, I found myself wailing. "God...Godric..." I couldn't stop calling his name between my sobbing. "Help..."

xxxxx

Time seemed to crawl. The hands of my watch moved slowly, too slowly in my eyes. They pointed at 03:19. It'd been a while since Sat and Bass had left the room and it'd been a while since I had finished crying.

My crying finished as abruptly as it came; as soon as I realized that my crying would give me nothing but swollen eyes and heavy chest. I realized I had to go out of the room and find a way to leave this place. Sooner or later, somebody would come here to take me. I knew and saw too much. Callisto wasn't going to let me go. Even when it seemed that she had forgotten me, by not sending anybody to check what I was doing, I was certain that she had some plans for me.

I couldn't wait for anybody to come and save me. I had to save myself or at least, try to hang in there until the sun went down. Yes, I had to do that.

I walked to the door and saw the fly sitting on the door frame. It was just a fly after all. "If you can get Sam Merlotte for me," I said to it. "I promise not to harm any fly from this day on." Then, I snorted. I must have gone out of my head. Talking to a fly, yeah right.

I opened the door and the fly flew away.

Loud music and noises hit my face and ears, like the hot wind in mid-summer. The high pitch of laughter, the sound of broken glasses and the fast rhythm of the music filled my ears and somehow took my orientation away. I didn't know where I was; all I could see was people...people having sex on the table, under the table, on the floor...on the door...one on one...two on one...I squinted my eyes. No, I didn't want to see this...I tried not to touch anything or anybody, ignored any sound and pushed away any hand, which tried to reach me.

Suddenly, a hand pulled me and pushed me to the ground. Before I could fight back, my mouth was covered. It was Imogene. I tried to fight her, but stopped it, as soon as I saw her eyes looked normal. "Immy...you...?"

"Ssst...," she put her finger on her lips and then slowly pulled me off the ground. She wrapped her hands around my waist. "Don't do or say anything," she whispered. "Just follow me."

"Where are you taking me?"

"Somewhere safe."

'Somewhere safe' was a small spot, somewhere in the remote part of the garden. It was beside the wall, under a branch of tree. I still could hear the sounds, but Imogene was right. Nobody was there; at least for the time being, nobody could harm us.

"How the hell did you get in here?"

"I pretended to be one of them and followed them here."

"Are you out of your fucking mind?"

"I have to find my sister, Tara. I have to. I will do whatever it takes to get her back," her eyes flickered. She meant it. She was fucking nuts! She entered the lion's den without a back-up or weapon. She's a fucking nut!

"If Callisto finds you, you're dead!" I hissed.

"I am just as dead if I can't find my sister." She took my hands. "You're my only hope, Tara; and I am your only hope. We have to stick together!"

As crazy as it sounded, she was right. We have to stick together. "Do you know how to get out of here?"

"The gate is open..."

"Then, we should leave. It won't be that difficult to pass by some men who are drunk. You could go in; certainly you can go out too!"

"We can't!" Imogene shook her head. "We can't! I can't! I won't leave without my sister!"

I looked around. Where the hell did Callisto keep her? I had been here before...was there any place I had never been to? Callisto's room. I had never been in Callisto's room! She must have been there.

"There's Bass!" suddenly Imogene said. She pointed at the familiar figure who was standing on the patio. "He knows where my sister is...I'll go and ask...,"

I caught her hand. "No, Imogene. He's one of them!"

"Each and every one of us can be one of the Witch's hand, but he's the only one who knows where Savannah is. He's the one who took her!"

"Especially because he's the one who took her!"

Imogene tried to take her hands away from mine; and after several trials, she stopped. "We have to follow him. We have to know where he's going."

Reluctantly I agreed. We couldn't leave the grounds; we might as well make the best out of it.

Xxxxx

I had never thought that a chubby man like Bass would be able to move fast. I had always thought he walked as he talked. Bass talked slowly as if he had to think twice or more to find the right words; in fact, he rarely talked, at least when I had been at this place.

After following him around (and trying my best not to be too obvious whilst I was doing it), I was surprised to know how fast he moved. He went to the kitchen, prepared the food, went to the storage room, which was in the basement, went back to the kitchen and prepared the food again. He cut the vegetables and meat faster than Lafayette or Big John. I liked watching him cutting. His big arms and hands moved elegantly and fast, like a ballerina who danced on the stage. Every movement was calculated and steady. The results were some really amazing sizes of vegetables. Some of them were thin, so thin that I was surprised to know that he hadn't cut himself. Then, he would arrange them nicely. The color combination that he displayed reminded me of Lafayette's table when he had been in love. There was red and orange from tomatoes and carrot, then the white color of cucumber or cabbage; I saw different kinds of green and I didn't know the name of the fruits which had pink color, but it was amazing and looked delicious.

The people who came to the table, unfortunately, ate and drank like pigs. They grabbed the food, shoved it down their throats. Some of them were talking and eating at the same time, some didn't even stop fucking.

God, what kind of world I am in? Is this the world we are going to live in if Callisto's god comes down to earth? She must not succeed. For whatever it takes, she must not succeed.

"That's weird," Imogene's voice made me turn to her.

"What?"

"Them."

That was very helpful. There were twenty people or more at the kitchen, and all of them were acting weird.

"Nobody touches or gets near Bass," said Imogene when I asked her what she had meant. "Look at them, they are doing it with anybody who is within their reach, but not Bass. They pass him by as if he wasn't there, and Bass continues cooking as if they weren't there!"

I looked around. Imogene was right. Many walked around or stood close to Bass, but none of them talked to him or touched him. My skin crawled. If Callisto was able to protect Bass and at the same time control the people to do the orgy, how strong was she? How was I or anybody else in this matter supposed to defeat her? Would Godric be able to defeat her if he couldn't see or recognize her?

Instinctively, I touched the bracelet. Callisto had to wear it. Without this bracelet, Godric wouldn't be able to see her. I had to get it back to Callisto. I had to, even if it cost me my life. I would die anyway, then why not die for the man I loved?

And Bass was the only one who could lead me to her.

I walked to him.

"Tara, what are you doing?" asked Imogene, catching my hand.

"You want to know where your sister is, ask him." I pointed at Bass. "We can stand around here and probably get gang-raped, or we can go there and ask him. Look, you're right. It's weird that nobody talks to Bass...," then something hit me. Was I really a Seer? I could see Bass because I had a power to see and the others not; and Imogene could see him because she was with me and touched me.

"What, Tara? Don't scare me like that!"

"Sorry," I didn't know how I looked like, but Imogene looked frightened indeed. "We have to ask him, Imogene. Now, while nobody pays attention to us."

I grabbed her hand and almost running, I went to Bass. That chubby man was busy cutting a leech. Sweat ran down his forehead. "Hi, Miss Tara," he said without turning around.

"Hi, Bass. What are you cooking?"

Imogene stared at me in disbelief. It sounded crazy, I know, in the moments like this I shouldn't have tried to make a conversation, but I had never had any conversation with Bass. I didn't know how to start. Well, he was cooking, why not asked about his cooking?

"Some salad," he said without turning. "Miss Callisto loves salad."

"You're very good with cooking, Bass." I said. "Your wife must have been a lucky woman!"

Bass stopped cutting for a moment, then continued, without slowing down his speed. "I am not married, Miss Tara."

I took a carrot and continued, "Your girlfriend, then."

Suddenly he blushed. _His girlfriend...Savannah or Callisto?_

"I am going to ask her to marry me," he murmured, almost unheard. "After tonight, of course, and Miss Callisto agreed."

"You've got to invite me, Bass...ouch!" I screamed as Imogene squeezed my hand. Jesus, it was painful!

His blushing face was getting redder. "Would you come, Miss Tara? Miss Callisto is very fond of you, I would be honored if you're willing to come."

I took my hand away from Imogene's grip. "Yes, of course."

Bass smiled.

"Why are you cooking so much, Bass?"

"It's Sat's birthday, Miss."

Yeah, I knew that. Sat had told me. Today was his birth...Jesus! Today! Why hadn't I thought of that. Today...the ceremony...the sacrifice would be held today, not tomorrow as Godric had thought.

"Are you all right, Miss Tara?" Bass asked. "You look pale."

I cleared my throat. "Is...is your girlfriend...is she coming tonight?"

"Why, Tara? What are you going to do about it?"

Callisto's melodious voice froze me. My skin crawled when I turned around and found her standing close to Imogene. Sat was nowhere to be seen. But it wasn't her presence that scared the hell out of me, it was the people. They stopped doing whatever they had been doing and now they were standing still, waiting.

"Imogene," Callisto smiled. "How nice it is to see you."

"C-cal-listo...," Imogene stuttered.

"Bass, why don't you tell Miss Miller, whom you want to marry?" said Callisto. She smiled so widely that it looked manic in my eyes.

Bass stopped cutting. He put the knife on the table, wiped off his hands on his apron and looked at Imogene. "Miss Miller, would you give me the honor to allow me to marry your sister...?"

"What...?" Imogene looked shocked.

"No, Imogene...," I said. "No...it's a trick...don't listen to them...please..."

"Would you, Imogene?" asked Callisto, taking Imogene's hands. "Wasn't it your dream to see your sister get married?"

"No...Imogene...please, don't listen to her..." I said desperately. "Please...don't leave me alone..."

Imogene looked at me, and then at Callisto. "Bass wants to marry my little sister?"

"Yes, Imogene. If you agree, tonight, we will celebrate their engagement..."

"My sister...getting engaged..."

I shook my head. No...please...and my heart sank when Imogene looked at me and smiled. Her eyes were black and her smile was as manic as Callisto's. "Yes, Callisto...of course..."

Callisto let her hand go. "Then, enjoy the party, Imogene. They are waiting for you."

Imogene moved away from me, laughing. Soon, her figure was blocked by the others, who welcomed her.

"Tara...why don't you understand...," Callisto approached me. "I did this all for you."

"Oh, yeah? That's not what you said some hours ago."

Callisto took a carrot and bit it. "I've changed my mind. I saw what you're capable of, so I decided to give you a chance."

"What I am capable of...?"

"Now, don't act as if you didn't know it, Tara. That's insulting. You can see what other people don't. You could even talk to Bass when nobody could. Tara, Tara...when will you realize that you have powers to foresee, to know things beyond your wildest imagination."

Yeah...including seeing that horrible thing fucking an innocent woman...and I was supposed to be happy with that? Not to mention that horrible thing had breathed down my neck, rubbed himself on my body to prevent me seeing him...no thank you!

"If you are with me, you can help your mother."

Too late. She had tried to kill me, thanks to her. I looked at my hand. The blue line had now almost reached my shoulder. Before long, I would die. The goddess figure gleamed under the early evening lights. The bracelet had to be with Callisto. Now, or never.

"On second thought, perhaps I pushed you too hard. Perhaps, you need more time to think..." she moved away.

"Callisto...,"

She stopped. "Yes, my dear?"

"I...I was going to say this earlier, but I guess, I forgot...you know, the conversation and everything else...," I removed the bracelet and walked to her. "My mother...," I cleared my throat. "She had stolen your bracelet...," I prayed that I didn't sound nervous, "Sorry...," I handed it to her. _Take it, bitch, take it!_

She smiled. "Keep it, Tara. It's a very good bracelet, and it's worth a fortune." She walked away again.

_Oh, no you don't!_

I grabbed her hand and wanted to put the bracelet on her, when she pushed me away. Like I had been a leaf, I was thrown away and hit the floor. I screamed of agony. My head was heavy and everything was blurred.

"Oh, Tara...look what you have done!" She came to me. "Now you're bleeding...," her voice was hoarse when she continued, "...why don't you face it, stupid girl. Nobody is going to come and help you. Join me and you will see the world with a different view...,"

"CALLISTO! THEY'RE HERE!"

Suddenly I heard somebody screaming loudly. Then, everybody screamed and yelled. Voices...voices were all over me...my head was getting heavier. With the last power I had, I grabbed Callisto's hand and put the bracelet on it. 'Click'. The catch made a soft noise as the bracelet was locked.

Then I heard a wailing sound.

"THEY'RE INSIDE! CALLISTO!"

They're inside. I was safe. The sounds got softer and softer. Finally.

xxxxx


	29. The Fight

**Author's note: Big sorry for a very late update. Northwoman (thanks for the correction, my dear!) said it was like forever...well, it is. After listening to something Danish ****(no idea what Viggo Mortensen was singing about, but hey, the man can sing! Honestly, I start wondering what the man can't do. He seems to be able to do everything, and I mean e-v-e-r-y-t-h-i-n-g!)** , I could finish this chapter. So I guess, I should thank to Mr. Mortensen for the inspiration. Thank you, dear Sir!

* * *

Chapter Twenty-nine

**The Fight**

Like a distance thunder, the noises, the figures, and the movement blurred and twisted. And they were coming at me.

Yet, I couldn't move my body; I couldn't even move my mouth to raise my voice. I heard steps around me, stomping, running and falling. I wanted to scream, to tell them I was there, laying and hopeless, so that they noticed me and didn't trample me.

Then, I heard a voice I least expected. "Tara, my baby!"

My mother, out of nowhere, she appeared in front of me. She stunk of booze, but I had never been happier to hear her voice again.

"My baby...what have they done to you?"

I forced myself to open my mouth. "H..lp.."

"Yes, my baby, I'll help you; we will get out of here."

I felt my body dragged. I didn't know where she was taking me; I could feel the small stones and rough surfaces cut through my stomach and thigh. My mother dragged and dragged. After some time, she stopped.

"You wait here, my baby," she said.

_Yeah, Mum. Don't worry, I won't go anywhere._

"Lift your head, Tara...oh, let me help you...," I heard her again after a while. "Drink, Tara...,"

Water. It was water that entered my mouth. A strong smell of booze reached my nose. She had drunk again. I opened my eyes. Yes, she had. I recognized the manic smile, the red eyes and her hair, which looked like a mop. Whoever had given her money to buy the booze, I hoped he or she rotted in hell!

"Why are you here, Mama?"

"Oh, nothing. I need to talk to Callisto."

I straightened myself. "Oh, Mama...," I sighed.

"Everything is going to be fine, Tara. I will explain to her that I didn't mean to steal the bracelet; that I only borrowed it for a while...,"

I looked at her sadly. "She didn't care about the bracelet, Mama..."

"Good, it's good. Then, she won't be angry with me."

I looked at her, and it was strange, but I pitied her. I should've been angry or enraged about her selfishness, but no, I pitied her.

"What, Honey? Why are you looking at me like that?"

"Oh, Mama...," I touched her face.

"You're burning," she grabbed my hand. "My poor baby, you're burning!"

"I am dying, Mama."

"Tara, don't say a thing like that! We are having a party, Sweetie. Look!" She pointed at the garden in front of us. "Look at all those people! We are having a party, and you know what Sweetie, as soon as I finish talking to Callisto, we can leave this place if you want."

I followed my mother's direction. For a moment, I didn't see anything, but three groups of people. The sky was dark. There was no sign of stars, as if some black cloud was hanging over the garden, or maybe even the house. The lights in and around the house, which were turned on, didn't help much.

When my eyes were adjusted to the surroundings, I could see on the right side there were some people, creating a circle, with two persons in the middle. I couldn't see who they were, but I could tell that one of them was a woman. My heart sank as I recognized the bright blond color of her head. Sookie. It was Sookie. They circled around Sookie.

I turned my face to the left side when I felt my heart race faster and faster. I couldn't stand it. They caught Sookie, and I was here sitting on the ground watching her...God, this was all my fault.

On the left side, there were also some people, creating a circle, only this time, there were Sat and Bass in the middle of the circle. It was easy to tell that they were Sat and Bass, because Sat was standing tall above the others. Maybe it was my eyes who were tricking me, but I swore, Sat looked much bigger than what he normally was.

Between the circles were some women. Some of them were screaming and pulling their hair; the rest were dancing, singing as if nothing happened.

Something was happening. I didn't know what, but I was certain of it; as certain as I was that Callisto was somewhere in the house, preparing the ceremony and controlling the people at the same time. But it's night time now. Sooner or later, Godric and Eric would show up; I hope it'd be sooner than later. I looked at my mother. She may not be here. She had to leave. As much as I disliked her, she's my mother. I had to save her.

I grabbed her hand. "Mama, you have to leave."

"Tara...you're burning!"

"Yes, Mama. I am burning;" I tried the best I could to sound as if I was under a lot of pain. "I am burning, Mama...and probably I am dying too..."

"Oh, baby...I know that there are many things between us that didn't work quite well in the past, but after this, Baby...I promise you, I'll do the best I can to change my life. Swear to Jesus Christ, My Lord."

She is definitely drunk. She only used her standard sentences and promises when she was drunk. I bit my lips. But if she was drunk...how come she wasn't under Callisto's influence? I took my hand off her and looked straight into her eyes. No, she didn't have the bug eyes like Imogene. "Listen, Mama," I said. "Listen very carefully. Callisto is not like what you think she is. She's not a nice person, Mama...,"

"Tara...why do you always try to ruin my day and my relationship with new friends?" My mother was moving away. "You always do that! Why, Tara?"

"Mama...please, for just once, listen!" I held her again. "She contacted you because she knew that she could take advantage of us, of our relationship. She wanted you to believe she would help you financially, but I am telling you, Mama, she never meant it. She wanted you to get what she wanted, me. Because she knew, if I thought that our relationship was fixed or better because of her, I would be forever in debt to her. When it failed, she sent you to poison me so that...," tears rolled down my cheek uncontrollably. "...Godric or any other vampires wouldn't be able to help me."

My mother snatched her hand away. She stood up. "No...no, no, no...that's not true..."

"Yes, Mama, it is. You poisoned me, when you stuck that knife at me."

"No...no...that's not true. She said...she said...she needed your blood...she said she could help me find...," she was moving away. "Oh...I am...I am..." she shook her hands, but no word came out from her mouth.

"Find what, Mama?"

"Your real father...,"

I forced myself to smile. "I don't want to know anything about him, you know that, Mama. Otherwise, I would have done it already."

She shook her head. "No, no, no!"

"Leave, Mama. Callisto tells you only lies. You have to leave, Mama. She will hurt you if you stay here."

"You are lying!"

"I wish I was."

She pulled her hair. "No..." she walked away. "No..." Then, she started running and saying 'no' over and over again.

I wiped off my tears. "Goodbye, Mama."

Soon, her figure was disappeared in the darkness.

I looked around me, trying to find something to hold and help me to get back on my feet. My chest was painful from a strange feeling that suddenly came over me. I knew, one of us would never leave this place alive. Looking back at the past, the quarrels my mother and I had had seemed so meaningless. Most of the quarrels were about money or promises she almost never kept. The money problem, as hard as it was for both of us, didn't hurt me more than the promises she never kept. Nonetheless, they came always at the same time. She had used the money till the last penny to buy her booze, and then she forgot the things she promised.

If I could turn back the time, I would forgive everything she had done and help her the best I could to keep her sober.

Then, something hit me. I had to get her. I had to explain to her and tell her that it wasn't her mistake. She couldn't have known what Callisto had planned. She hadn't meant to poison me. I had to tell her before too late.

However, as I was able to stand, a wail filled the air. I covered my both ears. The loudness didn't bother me, but the pain and the agony that filled the wail made me want to cry. It was as if somebody was being tortured.

The circle on the left broke. The people stepped backward. I heard a fearful howl, answered by the next one. They weren't just people. They were werewolves, I was sure of it. And they were afraid of Sat, for good reason. Because, slowly, I saw Sat's figure growing taller...what were those things sprouting from his head? Jesus! Horns!

Godric's voice rang inside my ears. He had told me about the Faun who changed right before his eyes; how the horns got longer and longer as it grew bigger, how it defeated the Zrocottas – the werewolves of Meröe.

I looked at the werewolves. They would have had no chance against Sat. "Run!" I tried to yell, but my voice was choked. "Please, run!"

As if they could hear my voice, the people from the left circle ran in every direction. Then, I heard a scream.

"Sis!"

It was Jason's.

Sookie. Sookie must have heard Sat's head. Jesus! Desperately, I looked at the sky. It might be my own fear, but I swore, the sky was darker than normally. No single star could be seen. The darkest night, Godric called it. When the planets created an alignment and blocked the moon's or any star light. But no...I saw something. A red light! Was it Mars, or was it Callisto's star?

The right circle was now broken. The people moved into two lines and created a kind of gate, leaving two figures. Their blond hair gleamed in the dark. I felt relieved. Sookie wasn't alone. She was with Jason.

_Don't be afraid, Sook. _I tried to reach her. _They will be here at any minute._

Yes, Godric and Eric would come. Godric wouldn't let Callisto go, and if somehow there was still something called a feeling in Eric, he would come to rescue Sookie. That vampire wouldn't hang around Sookie that long and that patiently if he didn't want something from her!

Yes, they would come and kick Callisto's and Sat's...I grabbed whatever stood near me. Sat...he wasn't Sat anymore. Standing in the yard was a creature..._that creature_...the same creature I had seen standing beside the road. Only this time, he was bigger! He stood tall towering everybody. The long curly horns were attached on his head, like two giant antennas.

Who would be able to defeat such a creature?

The werewolves seemed to share the same opinion. I saw them moving. Each of them seemed to find a place beyond its reach. I even saw one of them running away.

I began to wonder if my decision to return Callisto's bracelet was the right one. On one side, Godric would be able to recognize Callisto, but it would mean he had to face that monster and Callisto. If he wasn't able to do it two thousand years ago, would he able to do it now? Perhaps, Godric would be stronger, but didn't it mean that Callisto and Sat would be stronger too?

God, did I send Godric to his death?

I looked around. Figures stood in front of me soundlessly. Nobody made a move. I saw Sat stood close to Bass. His face was changing. He was no longer that sweet talking, handsome hunk, but a mix between human and a beast. His face was still Sat's face, handsome as ever, but his ears were long, like donkey's. When his eyes met mine, I could see how deep those eyes were. My skin crawled when I realized, there were no lights coming out from those eyes. The smile on his face looked sinister.

I trembled. Now I could understand why Godric had killed that woman. I couldn't and didn't want to imagine what kind of suffering that woman had been through when Sat raped her.

"Sis...," I heard Jason's voice somewhere. I searched for the source and saw him sitting on the ground with Sookie in his arms. "Sis, wake up. Please...you're my only family...please, Sis. Don't leave me...please, wake up!"

Sookie...what happened to her? I walked to them. I had to know what was happening to her!

"Sis...please..."

I walked faster. I had to be there! I had to know what was going on. But the faster I tried to walk, the farther it seemed. My feet were heavy as if there were unseen hands holding them tight to the ground. I tried to kick them, to set my feet free, but it was useless. I stood there, bonded to the ground by an unseen power. I was some yards away from Sat and everybody else, and I couldn't move.

Then, Sat straightened his body. He pulled it to its full height. Jesus! My jaw dropped. He seemed to get bigger and bigger by minute. Now, he looked as if he was ten feet tall. And he turned his head to me. I stepped backward. No...not me...I wanted to run. But before I was able to move, suddenly, the werewolves changed their forms. They were no longer human, but changed into wolves. All were gray, and their yellowish eyes shone in the dark. The one who ran away now returned, not as a human, but as a lion. His long mane moved like waves as he growled and charged Sat. Like being commanded, the werewolves charged him too.

What I saw next was like watching a tree being blown by strong wind. I saw Sat move his body vigorously. His hands and horn moved, like a dancer's hands. It was slow, but beautiful and deadly as well. I heard the loud whimpering of dogs and screaming. People, who were standing still, were now starting to scream and fall to the ground. At first look it was as if without reason, but when one of them fell not so far from me, I realized what happened. All bites and blows went to the people and not to Sat.

I turned to the house. Callisto had to be stopped. This fighting had to be stopped, one way or another. I had to find her!

But before I could move, I heard loud screaming. The werewolves and the lion were thrown away like leaves. One by one they fell to the ground. One by one they returned to their human forms. Under the dimmed light I saw Sam laying motionlessly. Blood came out from his mouth.

Tears ran down my cheek abruptly. Sam...he's dead. Sookie was injured; Jason was holding her like a little boy holding his broken toy. I didn't know where Andy was, and Godric wasn't here. I am alone.

I looked at Sat, who was standing still. There was no mark or sign of fighting on him. I couldn't say the same thing about my neighbors – the good people of Bon Temps. Some of them were bleeding, some even lay on the ground; unconscious.

Callisto. I had to find Callisto. But I know, Sat and the people of Bon Temps wouldn't let me. I had to be able to draw her out! "Come out!" suddenly I heard myself yelling. "Come out, you bitch, and show me your face!"

xxxxx


	30. Callisto's End

**Author's Note: **I would like to thank:

**Northwoman**, for being so helpful and lovely, accompanies me through the journey!

**Forgiveness Man** from the Conversation Chamber, for giving me a wonderful idea how to deal with my writer's block.

**BonTempsbeau** for letting the Lettie-Mae part of me shine through.

**Atsila from IMDB**, for linking some wonderful videos of Allan Hyde. Girl, if those videos can't inspire me, then I don't know what else anymore.

And for the very person who portrays Godric so wonderfully. Thank you, Allan, even though you'll never read this fanfic!

* * *

Chapter 30

**Callisto's End  
**

Callisto's slim figure was coming out from the house like a dancer entering a stage. The white sleeveless dress she wore was glimmering under the lights. Behind her was Savannah, walking absentmindedly. On her left and right sides were two women, whom I vaguely remembered as Merlotte's customers. Their hair was rolled and decorated with flowers. Savannah was like a bride being courted, walking down the aisle. Only this time, the one who was waiting for her wasn't her groom, but her slayer.

"Tara," Callisto's melodious voice sounded hoarse. As she came closer, I gasped. As if something had been taken out of her, her skin looked gray and dull. Her jet-black hair didn't shine as before either, only something remained. Two red lights shone through from her dark eyes, like two beacons shining in the middle of the ocean, sending signals to some ships.

I felt weak in my knees. I didn't want to imagine to what kind of ships she had been sending her signals.

"Are you still hoping for your savior to come and save you?" she smiled, mocking me.

"Don't paint the devil on the wall, Callisto. He will come. And when he comes, he will send you and your _prince _over there to whatever hell you came from!"

"Oh, Tara...," she walked to me. "I almost killed him when we first met. What makes you think that he will be able to do it now?"

I didn't know, but I was sure. He will kill her; he has to! "He has me." I answered with the first words that had come to my head.

Callisto laughed. "And you think at that time, he didn't have a woman beside him? He had two women, if you want to know. And if you really want to know...why do you think your family name is Reynolds?"

Two women...the Queen and Amani. I thought Godric said the Queen was the only woman he had before he was turned. And what did my family name have to do with all of this?

"Reinold was your real name, before it was changed, spelling-wise. Reinold or Raginald, according to the Teutons. You know, Tara," Callisto circled me, "the interesting part of living forever, you can meet and talk to many people from many regions."

"Who were the Teutons?" my curiosity defeated me.

"I knew it!" Callisto smiled in victory. "I knew you'd be curious and ask. The Teutons...oh, you know them as the Germans these days. Anyway, the Teutons and the Vikings shared a lot of things, and one of them was the language. They are not the same, of course...but I guess, you are not interested in the language so much, are you?

"Raginald...what a noble name...a ruler's adviser; that's the meaning of your family name. Now, you must have asked yourself, why, a family, whose root is from Africa, has a Viking name? And by the way, who was the one who whispered words in the Queen's ears at that time?"

I felt my blood run cold.

"Oh-ho...I know that look," she smiled, mocking me. "How does it feel, Tara, to sleep with your own grandfather?"

"He is not my grandfather...he is..."

"Oh, whatever you call him, my dear. He is the father of your ancestor. He is your grandfather."

No...no, that's not true. No...I shook my head. No...

Callisto laughed and walked away from me.

No...

_Listen to your body, Tara._

Godric's voice rang in my ears.

My body...my body, which had been touched by a man who could be my own ancestor...

_And use your eyes._

Use my eyes...I had used them, and I saw nothing but scary shit...and his gray pale eyes. Eyes which had saved me...I fell to the ground. The latest news seemed to be too heavy for my knees. I felt...empty. God, what had I brought myself into? This vampire business had blurred the lines of what should and what should not be. If Godric and Amani had been once lovers, and they had...no, it couldn't be. Godric couldn't have had the chance to sleep with her. He was crazy with the Queen, and all his attention was only for her. Everybody could see that Amani was in love with Godric, even I who lived two thousand years apart, except perhaps the man himself. He was as blind as a bat!

I took a deep breath. Did it mean...I was somehow related to the Queen? Did I carry their blood line?

Was the Queen pregnant? Did Godric know about it?

Questions and more questions. It seemed like Godric's life was surrounded by questions. I grabbed the grass in front of me and forced myself to get up. Whatever the answers would be, I knew one thing for sure. Callisto may not continue creating damage. She should've never entered Godric's or my life.

"Aaaargh!"

With the last power I had, I charged her. But before I was able to reach her, her hand moved; and like a feather, I was thrown away and landed on the ground. I felt my body ache and my head ponder.

"Tara!" I heard Jason screaming.

I saw him running and charging Callisto. From where I lay, I saw them moving like two figures in some Chinese movies. Jason might not be the sharpest knife in the drawer, but he's very good in sports, including martial art. I could imagine him defeating ….. bam! Jason landed on the ground, not so far from me. Well, maybe not.

He looked at me, smiled but then his eyes were closed.

I reached out to him, but our hands were separated by only inches. In desperation, I called out his name. "Jason! Don't you die on me!"

He opened his eyes. "Don't you know that Stackhouses are well known for their dick heads?"

I smiled. "Yes, I do. So, be a dick head now and don't you dare to die on me! You hear me?"

"Yes, Tara...,"

"Ain't that sweet?" Callisto stood between our hands. Then, she knelt down. "Jason Stackhouse...I wonder...," her hand reached out to touch Jason's. I felt my heart stop beating when I saw the color of her hand. It was gray green, like the color of a piece of wood which had been long in the water. I forced myself to look up. She was still as beautiful as before, but her skin was no longer ivory. Her open arm was covered by the same gray green color. As she turned around to look at me, I could see that her neck was covered by the same color as well.

I smiled. She was wounded, too. I was sure. She might not look it, but my eyes could see it.

"What are you smiling for? If you think your vampire would come to help you...,"

"No. I don't think; I know. He will come, I am sure. By the way, green looks good on you."

She growled. "I might have had the intention to give you another chance, but now...," her hand grabbed my hair.

I wailed. I thought after all the pain I had suffered, I wouldn't be able to scream; but I was wrong. The pain that came from the root of my hair crawled all over my body.

"Cry, you bi..."

Suddenly Callisto's sentence was interrupted. Her grip on my hair was loosened, and soon afterward, she was thrown away only to get on her feet again.

My body was shaking, and I broke into tears when I felt cold hand touched my shoulder. Godric.

"Go, my child," he smiled. He looked somehow remote. "Go and save yourself. Hide yourself at my place and take time to figure out what to do." He kissed my forehead. "Goodbye, Tara."

I grabbed his hand as he stood up. I wanted to tell him many things, like to finish his story and to explain to me about our relationship, whether he was my ancestor or not, but the words choked in my throat.

He squeezed my hand. "Go. Now." Then, he let it go.

I watched him walking away from me, before he charged Callisto with speed that couldn't be followed by my eyes. I saw Callisto move to the right and left, fighting an unseen figure.

"Tara...!"

I heard Jason call my name. I turned to him and saw two shimmering figures carrying him. I tried to stand up. With all my power, I pulled myself up. "Where are you taking him?"

The shimmering figures stopped. One of them turned around. "The Seer," he hissed. "So it's true."

"Yes, it is." I didn't know what the fuck he was talking about, but I decided to play along. "Please, he's wounded, he wouldn't be able to harm your people. Please...let him go..."

"He is our people." he said. "We have to take him away from here."

My thoughts jumped to Sookie. "What about his sister?"

They both turned their head to the left. I followed them, and saw Eric was kneeling down beside Sookie, giving her his blood.

"We'll take care of her," one of them said again. Then, they continued walking.

I looked around. People were like running around like popcorn on a hot pan. I saw them falling, or looking like something hit them without seeing the one who did it.

"Tara," a soft touch made me jump. Andy. "What are you doing here?"

"Fighting!" He looked annoyed. "This is my town, too, you know! Come on, I'll help you get out of here."

I shook my head. "No. I am worried about Godric."

"Tara, don't be stupid," he said. "He's a vampire, for god's sake! What do you think you can do to help him?"

I bit my lips. He's right. I looked at Callisto who was still moving, fighting an unseen opponent. I couldn't even see him; how would I be able to help him?

Then, suddenly I heard a cry. It wasn't just an ordinary cry, but a war cry. It was loud and growling. I saw Eric running toward Sat and charging him. Sat, who was holding Bass, put him aside and ran toward Eric.

The two of them soon engaged in a fight.

"The horns, Eric!" I screamed. "His horns are his weakness!"

"How do you...what the fuck?" Andy's big eyes became wider. "What the fuck is happening?" He looked confused as he saw the people being thrown away and landing around us.

"Andy...you have to help them," I grabbed Andy's arm. "They use our neighbors as the shield."

"What do you mean?"

"They are the ones who receive the hit, not Callisto or Sat. Please, Andy, before our neighbors get killed."

"How?"

"I don't know...knock them out or something."

"I don't know...Tara...I..." before he could continue his sentence, somebody landed beside him. It was Kevin. Blood ran out of his nose. "Oh...," Andy murmured something like fuck and walked away from me. Soon, I saw him smacking anybody who came near him. One by one, the good people of Bon Temps fell to ground, not because they were hit by an unseen hand, but because their own deputy Sheriff knocked them on the head.

And those who escaped from Andy became my target. I took flower pots, stone and anything within my reach and threw it at them.

Slowly, under the dimmed light of the fire which slowly getting smaller, I saw Sat moving more and more slowly. It seemed the energy he drew from the people was getting less and less, as the numbers of people who were still standing were getting less and less.

Suddenly, he turned to Andy. As if he knew that his real enemy was Andy and not Eric, he started running toward him.

"Run, Andy!" I screamed. "Run!"

Andy looked at me, and when he saw me pointing at Sat, he started running. But too late, Sat jumped on him and together, they fell to the ground. Sat's hands were on his head, ready to twist it, when Eric grabbed him from behind and threw him off Andy. Then, Eric let out a cry.

I shivered. Eric looked like a blood thirsty warrior from another world, another century. His shirt was torn apart, showing his pale body. His blond hair flew in the air, showing his face, which was covered with scratches. Were he was a human being, his body would be covered with blood by now. When our eyes met, he grinned. His blue eyes were sparkling from lust and eagerness. He looked more like an animal than a man.

Somehow I could imagine, Godric looked exactly the same in the battle field.

Sat was on his feet again. Strange, but in my eyes, he didn't look as tall or scary as before. In fact, he looked...tired and scared.

"The horns, Eric. They are his weakness!"

"I know, Tara. You're not the only one whom he loves!" Then, he charged Sat again.

Yeah, I know. We are his children; he is because Godric made him...and I am, because I am his next of kin.

I looked at Callisto. She didn't move anymore. She stood still, as if she had been waiting for the right moment to strike, like a snake which raised its head and waited for its prey to be careless with its guard, and bam! It got it.

"Noooooo!" suddenly I heard her screaming.

Not so far from where I was standing, Eric was holding the horns. His feet were on Sat's shoulders, and like a mad man, he let out a wail, whilst his hands twisted the horns. Blood came out from the bottom of the horns like springs came out of the earth. Eric jumped off the shoulders, leaving Sat standing, limping, before he fell to the ground. A rotten smell filled the air, forcing me to cover my nose, but I couldn't help but smile.

Eric shouted in victory. His words sounded light, and whatever they meant, it must have been something good, because I saw him wiping the blood on his face, smiling.

Then, Callisto said something loudly, in another foreign language I didn't understand. Her hands were lifted to the air and she kept on speaking, chanting more likely. Slowly, bright lights shone from her body, which slowly got bigger and bigger. When it touched me, I didn't feel anything; however, as I turned to Eric, I saw him trying to move away. But then, it was too late. He screamed in agony as the light touched him. He fell, and rolled to the ground. Soon, I smelt a kind of burnt skin.

My jaw dropped. The light...it was like sunlight for him...it meant, Godric would feel the same as well.

And I was right. Godric was standing, not far from Callisto, shaking. Different from Eric, he wasn't screaming, but his skin was burnt too.

No...no...they could die!

Callisto had to be stopped. But how? I looked around to find anything which could distract her, either it was a piece of wood or stone, I didn't care. That was when I saw Bass. His body was shaking. Perhaps it was only my eyes, but I saw something come out from his body, some kind of light. It was white and looked like smoke. It came from him and ran to Callisto.

It took some moments for me to realize what I saw. Callisto was using Bass' energy to attack Godric and Eric.

"Andy!" Suddenly I heard myself screaming. "Kill Bass! Kill Bass!"

Andy, who was crawling on his feet, trying to stand up, turned to me. "What?"

"Kill Bass! Now!"

"Tara...I am a law enforcement officer; I can't kill a man!"

"Shut the fuck up and kill Bass, Andy! Now!"

"I..."

"If you don't kill him, Callisto will win and kill Godric and Eric!"

Andy's mouth moved, but I couldn't hear a word he said. He stood up, drew his gun and ….bang! Bass fell to the ground with a bullet on his head.

A loud blub was in the air, and at the same time, both Callisto and Godric were thrown away. Godric fell to the ground and didn't move. Callisto was soon on her feet again. The gray green color now covered her face as well, and made her look old and hideous.

I dragged myself to Godric. I cried when I saw blood come out from his mouth. I was reaching out to touch him, when I heard Callisto saying, "I wouldn't touch him if I were you."

"What do you care?" I wiped off my tears.

"You. His blood will kill you."

I turned to her. My chest was heavy with anger and hatred. Because of her I couldn't say a proper farewell to him. "And you think by poisoning me, you will win over me?" I stood up. "I'd rather die than to become your follower!"

"Well, Tara. You don't have so many choices, do you? You will die, if you don't want to come with me. But don't you want to die at least peacefully? Didn't he tell you how it will be when the poison reaches your heart? How your body will get hotter and hotter and you feel as if you are stabbed with a knife...not only for a day, but as long as you fight it. And you know, humans have instincts to survive. Your body will fight the poison, even when you don't want to. Hmh, how long will it take...a healthy young woman like you...a week perhaps? A month?"

I bit my lips and forced myself to stand still. Callisto may not see me weakening. I wouldn't give her that satisfaction!

"So, come Tara. Come with me. You don't have to be a part of my people, but at least, I can make your death easier." She reached out her hand.

At that moment, as she was reaching out, I saw a limping figure coming near. It was my mother. With a bottle in one hand, and a knife in the other, she walked to us. She called out Callisto's name and said some other gibberish words about pay back, liar and going away. She swung the knife aimlessly. As she got nearer, my heart sank. The knife in her hand was the knife Jason had taken from the hotel. He must have lost it somehow. Oh, mother! It's a dull knife!

"Honestly, Tara," Callisto smiled. "You don't want to have a piece of shit like that to be around you."

My mother got near. Without saying any word, she struck Callisto with the knife and stabbed her on the side. "What do you call me?" My mother spat her on the face. "A piece of shit?"

For the moment, I thought, Callisto's would only laugh. A knife like that wouldn't mean a thing for her! But no. She held the knife and looked shocked. Her mouth was opened, but before she was able to say a word, my mother twisted the knife, took it out of her body and stabbed her for one more time. This time, she stabbed Callisto's heart and pushed her down to the ground with it. She kicked her body several times before she spat her again. "Now, who's the piece of shit?"

Callisto wiggled for a while, before she lay still.

I ran to my mother. "Mama...," I held her tight. "Mama..."

My mother held me back. She drank the last drop in the bottle and said, "My baby...nobody calls me a piece of shit in front of my baby and get away with it."

I laughed. My mother – the cunt, who smelt like a crowded bar on the busy Saturday night – my hero!

A cssss sound made us turn around and see a body which used to be Callisto's turn black and rotten, lying pitiful like cadavers which were forgotten and forsaken.

xxxxx


	31. The Beginning

**Author's Note: **It's been a long journey. I am glad that I made it. It's not always been easy, it's not always been kind either, but I am happy to leave Tara and Godric where they were now. I have faith in them; it is the right decision, so I can continue my own journey. I've been thinking about going back to Germany in the year of 1930s - 1940s, to explore the possibility of Eric and Godric roamed in the beautiful country under that ridiculous, selfish, stupid, egomaniac, dangerous man...

but in the meantime, I want to express my gratitude to all of you, who read and gave critics. _Thank you _is not exactly the word I want to say, and yet it seems there is no other word, which can represent my feeling. "Thank You".

P.S, I changed the category as 'Crossover'.

* * *

Chapter 31

**The Beginning  
**

"Where are you taking me, Eric?" I asked as Eric carried me, but like a robot, he didn't answer. His maker had told him what to do, and he obeyed.

"Godric, where is he taking me?" I looked at Godric, who was standing some steps away from me. He looked paler than normal; and the blood around his mouth was black.

Godric said something in a foreign language; I only caught the word 'Ludwig", and Eric nodded. Before I could ask any further, Eric shot himself to the sky. I grabbed him tight. Jesus! We flew!

'Ludwig' turned to be Dr. Ludwig. A weird looking, little old woman who lived on the border of Mississippi. Her house was full of herbs, dried things (I pressed my curiosity to ask her what the fuck they were) and oil lamps. To my surprise, sitting on a table was a set computer.

She looked me and said, "You're lucky," Her face was so sour; I wasn't sure if she really meant it. "One day more and you're dead. No vampires will be able to save you." She gave Eric a sign to leave, and then took me to a small room. "Stay there and don't fucking move."

Jesus! She's a fucking dragon!

I don't know how long I stayed with her. Day after day I had to go through some numbers of acupuncture sessions, and in each session, I wished I had died. It was so painful that I could feel every cell of my body alive and crawling around. And as if it wasn't enough, she gave a drink, that tasted as horrible as it looked. It was thick and green. I swore, she must have taken the water from a water treatment facility somewhere!

"Thank you," I said, when she sent me home. "I owe you my life."

"Just tell Godric to send the money. The rest, you can fuck yourself."

One of Godric's deputies came to drive me home. Isabel was her name. She was a beautiful woman, with dark hair and sparkling brown eyes. She looked intense and didn't talk much, but I was too happy to go home to be bothered by her reaction.

She told me I had been staying with Dr. Ludwig for ten days, and she also told me that before I knew it, I would be on my feet again.

I laughed and said, the sooner I saw my house again, the better I would be.

And I was. As I entered my house and saw everything on its place, I felt somehow relieved. It's like seeing a dear old friend. My house might not be the best place in town, but it's my house, a place where I could be myself and feel free.

Sookie came in the evening. Following her like a lost puppy was Eric. He winked at me and grinned. He didn't stay long because he had to return to Shreveport to work. I couldn't believe my eyes when he kissed Sookie goodbye and waved at me without turning.

Sookie then told me Eric had spent the last seven days at her place. He wanted to make sure she was really okay. Hah, that's why he grinned like a donkey! They had done it; I was sure of it!

Her face was gloom when I asked her what had happened that night. "I heard noises," she said. "Noises from a lot of people, begging me to be set free. It's like the sound of the whole Bon Temps was in my ears. They were in pain, Tara, in so much pain that I couldn't bear anymore."

"Jason was worried sick about you."

"I know. He told me. It's strange, you know. I don't remember what happened. When I opened my eyes, I was already at home. Jason was there, and so was Eric. Somebody had helped us, Jason said; but they didn't tell him their names. I asked about you, he said Godric had taken you away. But you're okay."

"What about Sam? Was he buried already?"

"What? Sam isn't dead. He was badly wounded, but he is not dead!"

Tears fell on my cheek. "He's not dead? I thought..."

"Oh, he's still in the hospital, all right, but he's not dead. Eric gave him his blood, not so much, but enough to keep him alive. And don't you worry about him, either. He's taken care of by a German girl!"

So, the cuckoo clock maker had finally arrived, but if Sam dared to ask his German girl to make another cuckoo clock, I'd smash it! He could count on that! Hmh, I wondered what she looked like.

"What about the rest of Bon Temps?"

"Ah, you know them. They forget about it already. Some of them don't even remember."

Lucky them.

"You hear anything about Lafayette or my mother?"

"Don't worry. Lafayette is fine. He's in Baton Rouge, you know, to talk to _him._" By him, she meant Lafayette's politician boyfriend. "And your mother was sent to rehab in Los Angeles!"

"By whom?"

"Godric. He told me he wanted to pay back what she had done."

I snorted. "That will be expensive."

"Oh come on, Tara. Give Lettie-Mae a break, will you? After all, she saved all of us. And guess who drove her to Los Angeles?"

"Who?"

"Jason."

"No."

"He did."

I laughed. I didn't believe this! Jason and my mother!

"Only Andy is a bit different. He's very quiet, and I don't know why."

My own voice, which ordered him to kill Bass, rang in my ears. It was an act of self-defense. Surely Andy could understand that.

"So, nothing has changed," I tried to chase away the voice.

"No, not really. Even Imogene and Savannah returned to their very own spot at Merlotte's."

"You're not telling me!" My eyes were wide open.

"Not exactly like before. Imogene doesn't talk so much any more, but she's still listening."

"Well, some habits die hard."

"They do, don't they?"

We looked at each other and laughed.

"Eric told me Godric is in Dallas, still busy taking care of some business." A conversation that I'd been trying to avoid was brought up. "He'll come here as soon as he can."

I bit my lips and turned my face away.

"You don't seem so happy about it. Don't you want to see him or talk to him? You care about him, don't you?"

"It's not that."

"Then what?"

I looked at those blue eyes. "What would you do when you found out that the man you've been sleeping with could be your ancestor?"

"Godric is your...really?"

"That's what Callisto said."

"Oh, Tara. Don't tell me that you believed her! It's Callisto! She lied!"

"But what if she was telling the truth? I mean, my family name is a Viking name! Godric had been living with a Viking clan before he was taken and brought to Africa!"

"It's coincidence! It's just a name, isn't it?"

"It's not just a name, Sookie. Do you think my family would keep the name of their owner, if it's just a name?"

"Now Tara...," Sookie waved her hands, trying to stop me from saying what I was about to say. She always looked uncomfortable every time I talked about our history. Slavery is never a good subject, but it happened in the past, and our families were a part of it. Her family as the slave owner, and my family as the slaves.

"My grandmother once told me, our family name is an original name, it's not the name of our ancestor's owner. Every woman in my family keep their maiden name, except my mother. But she did it because she was angry with my grandmother! Otherwise she would do exactly the same."

Sookie opened her mouth, but she seemed not to be able to find any word. Then, "Why don't you ask him? Don't you want to set the record straight and move on? If he is your ancestor..." she stopped.

"It means, I've been sleeping with my own grandfather." I covered my face.

"Don't be foolish." But, she didn't sound so sure.

I let myself fall on the bed. All this vampire thing...they messed up the social relationships real good. I believed social scientists had to redefine the meaning of 'long lost relative'. I sighed. How was I to know that I had a white ancestor...a young, handsome, sex... "Aaargh!" I let out a cry. No, I may not think like that about Godric. No, no, no!

Sookie cuddled me. "Try to get some sleep, Tara. Let's talk about it tomorrow, all right? Maybe things aren't as they seem."

I held her hand. As much as I wanted to have a bit of her spirit, I knew, I couldn't get rid of the thought so easily.

Xxxx

Two days later, I heard Godric was in town. However, I didn't want to see him. I knew it was a cowardly thing to do, but I just couldn't convince myself to go out. I couldn't tell myself that I didn't miss him either.

Everything in my house reminded me of him, of the things we had done: the loofah and the bed smelt of him, the broken cup reminded me of the hot sex afterward, even the boxer with the skulls on it looked much better now that he had once wore it. And when I made a cup of tea, I couldn't help but remember the horrible tea he had made for me.

I sighed. I couldn't go on living like this. It didn't matter where I was, I couldn't be free from him. He's in my heart; he will follow me wherever I go!

I had to talk to him. But where could I find him? In the tomb or at Merlotte's?

Knock, knock, knock!

Lazily I dragged myself to the door. It must be Sookie again. These days, nobody else visited me but my best friend. Well, if she talked me into meeting Godric again, I'd follow her advice this time.

A pair of pale gray eyes welcomed me as I opened the door. I froze. I wanted to smile, but I couldn't.

"May I come in?" he asked.

I opened the door; he came in. In his hand was a plastic bag.

"How are you?" he asked as we sat down.

"Fine. Doctor Ludwig told me, I am cured completely. You?"

"I am fine, thank you." He put the plastic bag on the table. "I have a present for you." He pushed the plastic bag to me.

"Thank you." I took the bag and opened it. Inside were a book and two plane tickets. On the green book jacket something golden was written: _Irish Jewel. _Then, under it: _ The Hill of Tara : A Door to the Past_. I touched the word Tara. Godric didn't lie. There is a place called Tara. I looked at the ticket, "Airplane Tickets?"

"Just in case you want to visit Ireland," he looked at me. His gray eyes were blazing, short, but bright. "With me."

"Where? To Tara Hill?"

"Or anywhere else."

I put the tickets on the table. Then, we fell into silence.

"Callisto is dead." The words just slipped out of my mouth without me being able to stop it. "Killed by my mother, that's an irony."

"Your mother loves you, Tara."

"She has a strange way to show it."

"Do you remember my story about the Seer of Meröe?"

"Well...I remember she read your future, but I don't remember what."

"She said that somebody from the palace and I will be tied to each other till the day when the tie is broken by love. When your mother stabbed Callisto, she broke the tie between me and the Greek. Hadn't she loved you, she wouldn't have been able to do it."

"The Greek?"

"I told you he had tied himself to Callisto's bracelet. All this time, I could always feel his present. Sometimes it was strong, many times it was weak. It depended on where Callisto and I were. The closer she was to me, the stronger it would be. Since Callisto's death, I don't feel it anymore. The tie is broken." he smiled. "He can continue his journey to Hades' place."

My mother did love me after all! "But I don't understand," I said. "Why was my mother free from Callisto's influence? She was drunk as a skunk!"

"I believe your mother has developed a tolerance for alcohol and its influence. She has drunk so much that the more she drank, the stronger she became against Callisto's spell. Perhaps, if it was her only, Callisto would be able to put her under the spell. However, Callisto was already weak from our fight when your mother arrived."

"But she couldn't be that weak! I mean, my mother stabbed her with a dull knife, a letter opener...,"

"Which she had used to poison you. That knife might be just a dull knife for a human being, but not for you and especially not for Callisto. She had covered that knife with poison, which could kill any supernatural being. Besides, that knife had touched your blood, which is already mixed with mine..."

"That's indeed an irony! But, it must have been strange for you. For two thousand years you had been looking for her, now that she's gone..."

"I don't live for her. I tried to find her, but I also try to live my life and to learn. That's what my maker wanted for me."

"Why did you come late? I thought you would come as soon as the sun went down."

"Eric and I went to see the faeries. I tried to convince them that they couldn't stay away from the rest of the world anymore. If Callisto won, the world that we knew of wouldn't be the same anymore. Sooner or later, she would invade their world too. If they didn't care about it, at least, they could help me save the people whom we love."

I looked at him. He looked at me, too.

Then, it happened. Without either of us saying anything, we found each other in each other arms, kissing, touching and moving in a hurry. When I found myself lying on the sofa with Godric on top of me and felt his erection poke my trousers, I broke the kiss and pushed him away. No, I can't do this; I may not!

"Tara...what is wrong?" His mouth was half opened; his fangs were out. He looked perplexed. "I thought you were happy to see me."

I moved away from the sofa, from him. I couldn't be near him because I knew, if I did, I wouldn't be able to resist him. "I am."

"But...?"

"Godric...is there something you didn't tell me?"

"I've lived for two thousand years, Tara. There are many things that I don't tell you, yet."

I forgot that he had a loose mouth. Oh, what the heck! I had to ask him! "Like your child? I don't mean Eric; I mean your biological child? Was the Queen pregnant with your child?"

His face was suddenly filled with expressions I had never seen before. It was like a mix of rage, sadness and sorrow. "Who told you I had a child?"

"Callisto did. Was I your...next of kin?"

"Is that what's it all about, your strange behavior, your rejection?"

I couldn't find the words to answer. What would he do if I said yes? He was angry, I could hear it from his voice. Godric had rarely or almost never raised his voice. Now, his voice was an octave higher than normally.

"What is it with you, Tara? Why can't you be happy? Why do you have to find reasons to refuse the good things that come to you?"

Did I? I looked at him.

"Don't you like our togetherness?"

"I do."

"Are you happy with me?"

We had some good times together, but the time that we had was filled with troubles and doubts – my doubts, mostly. Yes, I liked it; but was I happy?

He took my hands and asked me to sit down. His voice was calmer, but his eyes weren't soft and tender as usual. They were eager, even prying. As if they wanted to find the answer in my eyes! "Are you happy with me, Tara? Or at least, did I make you feel good?"

"I like to be with you." I was being honest. "You're a good listener and a good story teller," I smiled. "You can stand my mother; none of my boyfriends can do that."

He touched my face. "Then, you have enough reasons to be happy. Why can't you?"

"I don't know. But that's not the answer to my question, is it?"

"Yes, I had a child," suddenly, two red lines ran down from his eyes, "who was born too early because his mother couldn't bear the grief she had when she learned about his father's death."

"Oh, Godric... I am sorry..."

He put his finger on his mouth. "All conversation about her giving me a son was her way of telling me that she was carrying my son. But I didn't know. I should've known."

"You were just seventeen, Godric! You never had any woman before; how were you to know?"

"To remember that I could've hurt her that night and hurt my son..."

I took him in my arms. He still felt guilty about almost raping her after all this time. Now I realized why he looked very angry when I fought him as we were under the shower. I sighed. God, for two thousand years he carried his wounds and he's still able to look at the world with positive eyes. How I wished I'd be able to do it!

For a moment, we were quiet. When he lifted his face, he smiled. "Your chest is red."

I looked down and saw big red spot on my chest. I looked at him and said, "You'd better wash your face. Now, you look like a girl, whose face is covered with mascara."

He stood up. "I never did that, you know."

"What?"

"Crying. As a human yes, but not as a vampire."

I squeezed his hand. "There's always a first time."

"You lost your vampire virginity to me, and I lost my tears virginity to you. I guess we're equal."

Yeah, I supposed he could say that.

He went to the bathroom and returned with a clean face but half naked. "Any t-shirt I can borrow?"

"Yeah, sure." I went to the bedroom and took one of t-shirts from the closet. A cold chest was what I found as I turned around. "Your t-shirt...," I heard myself trembling.

He took the t-shirt and put it on. "Did you really think I could be your ancestor?"

"I have a Viking name, don't I? Reynolds...a ruler's adviser?" I looked at him. "It is a Viking name, isn't it?"

"Yes," he touched my face with the back of his hand and then softly played with my hair.

"But you are not my ancestor..."

"No, I am not. Do you want me to be?"

"No. No offense, Godric, but I simply can't imagine having sex with my own...," I couldn't continue the word.

"Grandfather?" As always, Godric was the one with the looser mouth.

"Yeah, right."

"Are you satisfied now that I am not?" His face was getting near.

I smiled. "Of course, I am, you silly! But how could Callisto have the idea? I know she was a liar and a manipulator, but how could she have the idea?"

"Some days after I became a vampire, Callisto held a ceremony close to the palace wall. The Greek was there, too. I didn't know what he was planning till it was too late. He had put a spell on himself and the bracelet to be bonded to each other so that Callisto would be seen by me. He died that night, but his spirit followed Callisto wherever she went.

"Enlil, Zeeb and his people managed to stop the ceremony in time. They didn't kill her, however, because I was wounded. Then, Enlil stopped the chase to take care of me.

"Callisto must have stayed for a while in Meröe and found out about Amani's son. Yes, Amani was pregnant, but not with my son. To have a child without a man would put her into a dangerous situation. If the people found out, the Queen would be forced to expel her. She wouldn't be able to live alone outside the palace. To protect her, I asked her to tell everybody that she was carrying my son and named him Reinold."

"What did the Queen say?"

" She was furious. She thought I really had taken Amani as my woman; and when I came to her in the night, she almost died because of shock. Then, she understood what I was doing."

"The Queen was captured by the Romans, wasn't she? How did you manage to get her free?"

His eyes were looking at my lips, as if he was considering whether to kiss them or not. "That's a story for another day." Then, he looked at me. Those pale gray eyes were burnt with passion. "Another night on your bed or mine."

"Where is the bracelet now?" I tried to bring his attention to something else. As much as I wanted him, and God knows how much I wanted to drag him to the bed and do all the possible things that were going on inside my head right now (and not all of them were what would be called 'conventional'), I realized I needed some time for myself to understand everything that had happened to me, to understand what I really felt about him before I decided whether I wanted to continue our relationship or not.

"Burnt, together with Callisto's and her godson's body." He played with my hair. His eyes now looked glossy, as if he was remembering something. "You remember when I tried to tell you how your blood tastes?"

"Yeah...?"

"Your blood tastes like hers."

"Who?"

"Amani, the Queen's maid."

"You still remember? After all this time?"

"There are things that you can't forget: your first lover, your first kill and in vampire case, your first blood. Amani was my first blood. She was beside me when I woke up from the death and gave her blood to me."

Amani...the loyal maid...she must have loved him very much.

"Does it mean... Amani is my ancestor?"

"I don't know. I didn't stay in Meröe after the Queen's death, and I didn't follow the life of Amani's son," his eyes trailed on my face fondly. "Nevertheless, I love the idea of having her grandchild as my woman...having a part of my human life again...," he kissed my hair, "indeed, it would be a bless."

I felt my heart missing a beat. The softness in his voice, the words he chose, his tender touch made me feel I was somebody special, somebody who really mattered in his life. He made me feel wanted, and that was a good feeling. The Queen was right. Godric knew what women wanted to hear.

"You never slept with Amani?"

"No. I loved her like a friend; a sister I never had."

_Oh, she must have been very happy to hear that!_

"You have her name, Tara."

"Who? Amani?"

He nodded. "In Arabic, Amani means good wishes. Your middle name is Desiree, isn't it? Desiree, Wishes...they are the same."

"I always thought it was a pompous name...,"

"It's a name of a great woman. You should've been proud."

I guess I am now.

Again, we fell into silent.

"What was her name?" finally I asked the question. I had asked him once, but he didn't answer it at that time.

"Who?"

"The Queen."

He was silent for some time, and then he said slowly, "I don't know."

"You never asked?"

"No."

"Even after she died? She died, didn't she? I mean, you didn't turn her or something."

"Yes, she died; and no, I never asked."

We fell into silence again.

"I have to go to Arkansas tonight," This time, it was Godric who broke the silence, "I don't know for how long."

"What for?"

"Vampire Meeting." He touched my lips. "You want to go to Dallas...to visit me, or to go to school there?"

"I don't know, Godric."

"You're a clever woman, Tara. Go back to school, educate yourself. Don't worry about the money; I'll pay, as a loan. You can return it as soon as you have it."

I touched his chest. "I can go to school here, too."

"I know," he kissed my forehead. "But your boyfriend is in Dallas. Don't you want to be close to him? Long distance relationships are never good."

"My boyfriend? You, me, boyfriend-girlfriend?"

For the first time since we met, his eyes were twinkling. "Think about it, all right? And Ireland. Think about Ireland, too. I can wait forever, but can you?"

I kissed the corner of his mouth. "I'll think about it, okay?"

"Good enough." He kissed my lips then the tip of my nose.

We walked hand in hand as I accompanied him to the door. He kissed me one more time before he squeezed my hands and whispered, "Allow yourself to be happy, Darling."

I put my head on the door frame as I watched his fragile pale frame walking into the darkness. Yes, I will. I promise.

The soft breeze touched my hair, and as I was about to close the door, I saw a shimmering figure standing, looking at my direction; for a moment, and then it disappeared.

The faeries don't hide themselves anymore. I do hope, it can only mean well.

THE END


End file.
